"Spring makes it's own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer."~
G. B Charlesworth.
I have been in Christchurch watching young ones and Dad while Mum is in the UK with her family which gave me time to step back and plan what next in the garden.
Cleaning out ponds is first on the list, over flowing them and cleaning out leaves,water lillies, oxygen weed and water iris's are starting to make a move. A couple of years ago a helper and I removed all the yellow bog iris's from the big pond, this was a much needed job because this common yellow iris was spreading so fast and took up a quarter of the pond with mat it's forming roots ( lesson loaned, don't plant yellow bog iris in a domestic pond) The place for this iris is along the banks of a creek, the fibrous roots are fantastic at holding the sides back from erosion. Don't be tempted to add bull rushes to a domestic pond either, they also spread too quickly.
Now the sap is up, I have been removing unwanted growth from prunus trees, (flowering cherry) it has been said that this is the best time to make cuts in prunus to avoid the spread of silver leaf which can spread from tree to tree while in the dormant stage. Cut out any weak growth and cross over branches before they grow thick. After fruiting take the height down on fruiting cherries & plums if they have grown beyond picking height as they tend to fruit on the top branches and keep light from lower branches.
Cut out all dead branches from beneath Kilmarnoch willows if you have them, this is the ornamental pussy willow used so often now in small gardens. Each new branch grows out from the bud of last years growth. All subsequent years growth dies and builds up under the new growth. The grafted weeping tree is much nicer to look at with all those dead branches removed and it is easier to do this when bare of leaves.
Keep folia feeding new spring growing plants (other than bulbs ) with liquid plant food to encourage strong growth, plant, plant,plant all the pretty spring seedlings on offer now and sow seeds for summer flowering and veg garden to save on buying seedlings later in the year.
Lawns,
Lawns benefit greatly from an early spring feed of lawn fertiliser but this works best with rain to wash it in. There will be a lot off moss in lawns this spring with soils staying so wet, sulphate of iron watered on from a watering can will deal to it. Rake it out once it has turned black. If moss in your lawn is caused by poor drainage, aerate the area with a fork, rake in some sharp river sand and gypsum before resowing and covering with sifted soil. Unfortunately too much soil is removed from new sections these days which means clay is not as far down as it should be there for creating a solid moisture holding pan under soil. Gypsum ( soluble lime) will work on opening up clay without changing the ph of soil. Reasons for moss in lawns: Compacted soil – Poor drainage –Low pH – Lack of sunlight.
Vegetables:
Soil is warming with sun is staying around longer, everything is now coming to life for spring so heaps to do in the veg garden as you ready it for planting. Spread some old stable or pig manure and dig in while turning soil over in readiness for planting, a metal rake will soon break up winter clods to fine soil down for direct seed sowing. Get pumpkin, butternut and squash and corn seeds started now under protection, they need a long warm growing season to grow and ripen. It's great to be planting salad veg again especially while there are still no white butterflies or aphids about. As an early season deterrent start spraying fish emulsion on both veg and flowering seedlings, this will feed the plants and repel pests by fooling them into thinking their favorite food is now protein not vegetable, repeat after rain.
Once seed potatoes have sprouted get them in the ground, when leaves appear start mounding. Our Weston School caretaker supplied the Children's garden with cut down car tyres to be fill with the fantastic compost he makes for planting potatoes. Four seed potatoes in each tyre and once leaves appear another tyre is placed on top more compost added, the tyres are said to keep the growing conditions warmer.
Fruit: All deciduous fruit trees can still be planted in September while the plants are just coming out of dormancy . The widest selection will be available in garden stores now. All fruits require a position in full sun, shelter from prevailing winds is preferable or a stake added for a couple of years until roots are well anchored. Spray stone fruit trees on bud burst with Super Copper to protect from leaf curl disease, if still a young tree pull affected leaves off and destroy.
Strawberries: Delicious strawberries are easy to grow, in a home garden, as little as 25 plants can yield more than 50 pounds. Strawberries need at least six hours of direct sun daily and will do well with a dressing of feriliser specifically formulated with extra potassium, regular irrigation and slightly acidic soil which can be achieved by adding coffee grinds and covering the bed in pine needles which also keep the weeds down and the fruit clean. All other berries on offer should be planted now to settle in to a season of fruiting
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