Remember the light requirement for the plants you are thinking of using in any given location.
Spring is almost here and it is time to make a plan for all your gardens for the coming growing season.
Always remember a truly beautiful flower garden and a productive vegetable garden is always a healthy garden.
You can accomplish this by utilizing good practices, that is good for the environment can have lower maintenance requirements and in turn can save you time and money.
Here are a few things to remember as you plan, organize and work in your garden.
• Remember the light requirement for the plants you are thinking of using in any given location. Most fruits, herbs and vegetables need a full sun location, which means a least six hours of direct sunlight or all day dappled sunlight.
Many flowers require the same formula, but some plants perform well in a part-sun location which means at least four hours of direct sunlight per day. Some flowers prefer a shady location of no more than two hours of direct sun a day, and in most cases this should be early in the morning.
• Always provide the best nutrients for the soil and your plants. Begin by adjusting the pH requirements of the soil for your plants.
Remember most vegetables like a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, but there are some plants that require special pH requirements.
Blueberries like it 4.5-5.2 and asparagus likes it 6.8 to 7.2 for best results and performance. Use lime to raise soil pH and Sulfur to lower soil pH.
Always add organic matter to your soil which improves the soils structure and results in increased water infiltration following rains, increases the water — holding capacity of the soil, enhances root development and allows for mobile nutrients to reach the root system.
I suggest using Leaf-gro (made right here in Maryland), or composed manure or mushroom compost.
The addition of organic matter is most important in raised beds and should be done each year before the beginning of the growing season.
We recommend using Espoma products for your plant food needs.
They are organic, good for the environment and for the Bay’s health.
They are slowly released into the soil, which means the plants will feed for the entire growing season. There is a “Tone” for every plant need, including, Hollytone, Gardentone, Planttone, and many more.
I especially recommend Tomato-tone for tomatoes and peppers as it not only provides the necessary nutrients, but also has calcium which is very important in the prevention of blossom-end rot in these plants.
• Watering is important in establishing and maintaining plants in the garden. Most established plantings require an inch of rain a week during the growing season, but flowering plants may have additional watering needs, especially tropical and annual flowering plants. So water when appropriate, but try to never over-water, which can create root rot, diseases or insect problems.
• Cleanup and remove any of last years plant debris, and prune out any weak, diseased or dead branches, foliage and of course the weeds.
• Apply two to three inches of mulch after planting and apply all soil amendments, nutrients, pH adjustments and when appropriate weed preventers.
This will allow for all the applications to stay in place when it rains, and helps to retain much needed moisture in the soil during the hot months and helps keep down the weed population.
• Try to walk around and examine your gardens twice a week, looking for signs of problems such as disease, fungal issues, insects, watering needs and removing weeds as they pop-up.
By following a weekly maintenance schedule and beginning with good gardening practices, you can have a successful, beautiful garden.
March Is For Pruning
This is the perfect time to prune back trees and shrubs before the growing season begins.
Remember do not prune spring flowering shrubs as you will cut off the flowers!
Most flowering plants need to be pruned after they are finished blooming for the season.
Never prune more than one-third of the total plant mass, and prune away any branches that are growing inward, are weak or diseased, and anything growing below 10 and 2 o’clock (as if on a clock’s face), because they are more easily broken in the wind.
If you have questions about pruning, come by and we will help you.
(Editor’s Note: Ken Morgan is the owner of Robin’s Nest Floral and Garden Center in Easton, Md.)
