A warm weekend in March often drives winter-weary homeowners outside to start yard work. That can be a mistake.
“Don’t jump the gun,” said Julie Janoski, manager of the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “March is a good time to prepare for spring gardening, but it’s still too early to do much outside.”
Here are some do’s and don’ts for early spring gardening.
Do force branches. To create a sense of spring indoors, cut branches of flowering shrubs and small trees such as forsythia, crabapple and lilac. Give the base of each branch a clean cut and put them in a vase of warm water. Change the water regularly until the buds bloom in two or three weeks.
Don’t prune some trees. Sap is already running in birch, maple and walnut trees. If they are pruned now, they are likely to “bleed” sap from the pruning cuts. Wait until late spring or next winter.
Do check trees and shrubs for damage. “It’s often easier to see dead branches, cracks in tree trunks, and cankers in winter, without leaves in the way,” Janoski said.
Do get your tools ready. Clean, sharpen and sterilize cutting tools such as pruners and loppers. They will be easier to use and will be healthier for your plants because they will make clean wounds that heal better. “Sharpening also makes shovels easier to dig with,” she said.
Don’t be fooled by warm, sunny days. “It’s still too early to remove mulches, screening and other plant protections,” Janoski said. “Leave them in place until the weather is more consistently warm.”
Do make plans. Evaluate last year’s garden and make plans for spring planting.
Don’t dig. Even if the ground has thawed, it will be too wet to dig in early spring. Wait until the soil is no longer soggy. “Digging wet soil can compact it, squishing the soil particles together so water and air can’t reach your plants’ roots,” Janoski said. The clay soil common in the Chicago area is especially easy to compact.
Don’t start mowing the grass. Walking on the lawn when the soil is wet can compact the soil, and the grass won’t need mowing until it has been growing for several weeks.
Do start seeds indoors. Tomatoes, peppers and other warm-season plants will be ready for transplanting outdoors after mid-May if you start them indoors under lights in March.
Do check perennials for heaving. The freeze-thaw cycles of winter can thrust the roots of some perennials out of the ground. Gently push the plants back in place and tuck some mulch over their roots to insulate the soil and prevent a recurrence.
Do cut back ornamental grasses. Cut off last year’s dried stalks 1 or 2 inches above the ground before the new green shoots sprout.
Do follow the weather, not the calendar. Spring weather is highly variable, so you can’t use dates to plan garden tasks. Instead, pay attention to recent weather forecasts and the conditions in your garden when deciding what to do. Don’t take your cues from stores, either. For example, crabgrass preventer products are often put on sale in early spring, but if they are applied too early they will have lost their effectiveness by the time the soil warms up enough for crabgrass seeds to germinate. “Just because products are for sale doesn’t mean that they are necessary or that it’s time to use them,” Janoski said.
For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org/plant-clinic
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, or [email protected]). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.