Take advantage of preparation time
Q. What are some ways that I can get ready for spring gardening now?
A. We may be knee deep in winter but with seed and plant catalogs arriving in my mailbox, I start thinking about spring in my garden.
Late winter and early spring is a great time to start preparing your garden for the oncoming season.
Bundle up and hit the garden shed or your garage. Pull out your gardening tools and give them a tuneup. Consider sharpening any blades for those tools you use often. Take time to oil the hinges so that they are in top shape for the season to come. There is nothing better than having tools that cut sharply and can do their job in the garden, making yours just a bit easier.
Once the snow melts and I get a sunny 35- to 40-degree day, I hit the garden. I find it good for the soul to do a bit of spring cleanup. I start picking up debris that may have blown its way into my yard and clear away leaves left from fall. If you spot any weeds that have survived winter, remove them now before the warmer temperatures bring them to life.
Early spring is also a good time to consider pruning your trees and shrubs. I like pruning during this time of year because it is easy to see the structure of your plant and makes it easier to shape them. Remember though that you can't prune all plant life in the spring. Some need to be pruned after they bloom. Timing is key. The general rule of thumb is that early blooming shrubs develop their flower buds during the summer and fall of the previous year, essentially blooming on "old" wood. If you have a flowering shrub that blooms before June 15 wait to prune it after it has flowered. Generally, flowering shrubs that bloom in later summer/fall can be pruned early the following spring.
It's also a good time to think about what perennials you may want to divide once the ground softens a bit. Spring is a good time to divide hostas, black-eyed Susan and purple coneflower, to name a few.
Getting back to those seed catalogs I mentioned earlier, this is a great time to start planting seeds indoors. Many plants, hardy vegetables and herbs can be started from seed so that they will be ready to plant once spring officially arrives. But then that is another column. Let the gardening begin!
- Wendy Reiner
• Provided by Master Gardeners through the Master Gardener Answer Desk, Friendship Park Conservatory, Des Plaines, and University of Illinois Extension, North Cook Branch Office, Arlington Heights. Call (847) 298-3502 on Wednesdays or email northcookmg@gmail.com. Visit web.extension.illinois.edu/mg.