JOHN CRETTI'S SPRING GARDENING TIPS
May 2, 2020
John Cretti’s Gardening with an ALTITUDE timely reminders
Get Ready for Planting
Planting time for vegetables and herbs is near as soil temperatures begin to warm up. As soon as the soil can be worked, sow seeds of beets, turnips, carrots, leaf lettuce, spinach, onions, peas, Swiss chard, kohlrabi, and endive. If you've started transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and onions, make plans to set them outdoors. Use floating row covers to warm the soil and help the plants get off to a strong and healthy start.
Rotate Garden Crops
If you have room in your garden, make a plan to rotate your planting sites to reduce the spread of diseases and insect pests. Don't plant the same or closely related plants in the same spots they grew in the past few years.
Prune Oystershell Scale-Infested Lilacs
If your lilacs have heavy infestations of oystershell scale that are limited to just a few branches, prune out and destroy them. This is one of the easiest ways to reduce a severe outbreak of these pesky critters. This will also help renew the lilac shrub for new growth.
Fertilize Lawns
Lawns that did not receive fall fertilizer will benefit from an application of a slow-release lawn food that contains a source of iron and sulfur. Soils in our region generally have adequate iron, but this nutrient is unavailable to the grass when the soil pH is 7.6 or higher. You'll be surprised how turf grasses respond with darker green color and more vigor after iron and sulfur are applied.
Check for Insect Pests When New Foliage Unfurls
Any time you can detect pests such as aphids and scale in the early stages, it will be much easier to control them. Dispatch them with a blast of water from the garden hose, or use good quality oil sprays. Homemade soap sprays can be very effective too.
For more timely garden tips please refer to my book: MONTH-BY-MONTH ROCKY MOUNTAIN Garden Guide (Cool Springs Press). This book highlights what to do each month to have a healthy and beautiful garden all year.
