Skip to main content

Follow the calendar when it comes to starting plants indoors

Lead Summary
By
George Bonnema, Luverne Horticulturalist

As we transition from winter to spring, we have to anticipate some variability in our weather and temperatures.  A couple of really warm days and some folks are ready to plant potatoes. But the calendar is a better indicator than our emotions.  None of us has the crystal ball, but the law of averages is what it is, so be reasonable about your expectations.
I talked last week about getting our landscape shrubs pruned and if you want a more detailed job description, I invite you to attend my Courageous Pruning Class at the Luverne Spring Loaded Event coming April 16.
If you are eager to get some seeds planted indoors, I encourage you to wait for three more weeks.  Getting those little plants growing too early results in spindly weak plants that have a hard time adjusting to the reality of living outdoors.
From what I can tell working in my landscape, the winter has been very kind to our plants. Even though it was hard to appreciate at the time, I think the continual blanket of snow was the blessing.
If you have a bed of strawberry plants that have grown too thick (which they seem to do overnight), this is a good time to thin them.  I do it by just grabbing a handful of plants and ripping them out. I know that sounds severe, but it does work well. The best quality berries will be produced on plants that have some space between them, so this thinning is usually an annual job, and getting it done as early as possible is essential. I also mulch my patch with a thin layer of straw. That mulch helps retain moisture, inhibit weeds, and prevents dirt from splashing onto the berries when it rains. It also keeps my feet or knees clean when I am harvesting.
Next week I am going to start a series to tell you about some of my favorite flowering annual and perennial plants for our planters and gardens.  Some of them may be new to you, but they have proven their merits to me and I’ll be happy to entice you to try them.

You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.