Aren’t we all feeling a wee bit exhilarated by this fabulous spring weather? If you’re like me, you’re experiencing a burst of energy and an intense desire to get everything done in the garden in one weekend. Pace yourself!
While I did indeed get a ton of work done last weekend — my raised beds are now ready to plant and I limed, mossed and fertilized my lawn — there are some things we are going to have to wait on, like planting basil, tomatoes, hanging baskets and pruning hydrangeas.
I live by the saying “You can plant year-round in the Northwest.” I must add, however, that what you plant must also be appropriate for that particular time of year. Which means it is too early for basil and tomatoes. (Although, you could theoretically stick a tomato in the ground now and, while it would pout and probably turn purple, it would not grow until the soil temperature warmed up to at least the 50s. So why waste the space when you could plant some lettuce or peas, harvest them, and then use that same spot for tomatoes?)
This is, however, a perfect time to plant roses, shrubs, trees, perennials and even some cold-hardy annuals like pansies, snapdragons, Calendula and stocks. Normally, I would say it’s too early to plant a new lawn, but with it being a record 76 degrees this past Monday you might be able to get away with it.
Even if you are not planting a new lawn, this is certainly a good time to feed and renovate an existing one. As far as planting new perennials and shrubs, remember the second saying I live by, “There is always room for one more plant.”
My other top-of-mind concern is assessing winter damage — I need to tell you, that it is going to take several months to figure it all out. My hydrangeas are not looking too good and I am going to have to wait and see where they start to regrow and prune off all the dead wood at that point.
That could mean cutting them all the way down to the ground. This could also be true for a lot of deciduous shrubs. broadleaf evergreens, like rhododendrons, laurels, Fatsia, and Skimmia are showing some winter burn. Again, as the new growth emerges, I will cut them back.
This process actually stimulates more new growth, so it’s not a bad thing to do. Be sure to apply some extra fertilizer to help support all that replacement growth.
With conifers it’s harder to tell what is alive and what is dead because the leaves don’t wilt like a rhody. Most evergreens (conifers) that are planted in the ground should be just fine.
Container plants are where the real challenge will be. I left outside lots of large containers of Japanese maples, conifers, mixed perennials and grasses. If the roots froze on any of these, then they will be slow to leaf out, if at all.
If evergreens like “Sky Pencil” Japanese holly have root damage, they will gradually turn a dull color and eventually drop their leaves. While they might recover later in the summer, it’s not worth the wait in my book. Jerk them out and start fresh; life is short.
So while it’s a waiting game for finding out how badly plants were frozen, it’s still a perfect time to plant season-appropriate plants. Go make it happen.
Steve Smith is the owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at info@sunnysidenursery.net.
Organic gardening
Attend two free classes next weekend at Sunnyside Nursery: One on organic gardening is at 10 a.m. March 30 and another is one colorful climbers at 11 a.m. March 31. The garden center is at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., Marysville. For more information or to sign up, visit www.sunnysidenursery.net.
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