Spring Plan for the Garden!
Spring Has Sprung!
As seen over the past couple of weeks here in Olympia: Spring weather can be very unpredictable!
So what should we work on in March to prepare our gardens?
Although the breaks in the rain can be so exciting, I encourage you to wait before transplanting seedlings to your garden! (I even posted a reel about it, you can watch it here).
There are several reasons why it’s better to wait until the weather warms up:
There are beneficial insects sleeping! Pollinators lay their precious eggs/hibernate in our gardens all winter long. Disturbing the soil too early could hurt them.
The mulch is a protector of your soil! If you’ve followed along for a while, you know I’m a big fan of using lots of leaves as a mulch over my garden beds! This layer protects the soil below from erosion and nutrient depletion due to rain, wind, even sun damage. Also: It’s an AMAZING way to prevent weeds. Leave that mulch on as long as you can!
It can be a risky time to plant. What’s the danger of unpredictable spring weather? Well, a hard frost may show up unexpectedly, causing damage to (or even killing) your baby seedlings. Planting out early is risky, and generally speaking: your plants are happiest when you wait a little while longer.
So, What can we do for our gardens in March??
March is a great time to:
Start seeds indoors, and even some seeds directly sowed outdoors! Clearing just small spots / skinny rows in your garden bed can maintain the life cycles and protection of the soil, while allowing that tiny seed a bit of room to grow between the mulch.
Indoor seeds to start now (or even a few weeks earlier!):
Strawflower
Bee Balm
Sweet Peas
Peppers
Yarrow
Rudbeckia
Outdoor seeds you can sow directly into the soil:
Calendula
Poppies
Cilantro
Nigella
Bachelor Buttons
Organize & fix your garden tools, buckets, wheelbarrows etc! Now is a great time to take inventory and fix anything that’s broken. Make sure you have good gloves*, trowels, buckets, kneeling pads, * etc. so you are ready to rock & roll when the warm weather hits!
Make a garden plan. Am I the only one to who has a stockpile of seeds and no idea where to plant them?? Consider the sunlight/shade, height of the plant compared to it’s neighbors, beneficial interplanting concepts, harvest window etc. when planning where to plant each item.
Stock up on Plant Care products: I have several items I use regularly to keep my garden healthy throughout the growing season. Here are some of my favorites:
Foliar Fertilizer *: This can be sprayed directly on the foliage (leaves) of the plant, and I’m a big fan! Click here to earn a 15% discount when you order!
Fish Emulsion Fertilizer *: This stuff doesn’t smell great (unless you ask my puppy, Hank, because in his opinion it smells delicious…) but it’s a fantastic all-purpose fertilizer that I mix into my watering can every 1-2 weeks during the growing season
Sluggo *: I was just informed that Sluggo Plus is dangerous for pollinators! Find regular Sluggo to be safe! I use this stuff non-stop in the garden. It’s organic, safe for pets and humans, and it’s very effective at deterring slugs and earwigs (two of the WORST pests when it comes to growing dahlias!)
Costco carries Sluggo Plus during the Spring & Summer months, so be on the lookout!
Plant out hardy seedlings: I know, I know. I literally just told you all the reasons why you shouldn’t plant out seedlings. But, when it comes down to it: it’s up to you! If you have plants that can tolerate a frost and are ready to be transplanted, (such as my sweet pea seedlings that are available now!) it’s actually fine to transplant them out whenever you are ready!
I hope this info has been helpful, and I am looking forward to hearing all about your gardening adventures this summer! Never hesitate to reach out to ask questions, compare notes, or just send pretty pictures of flowers :)
*Note: The above links with an asterisk are associate links, and I may receive a small commission from qualifying purchases.
