Winter Damage

Many gardeners are finding that they have damaged plants in their landscapes this spring. One of the first things most of us want to do is to remove any plants that don't look good, have a few brown needles or leaves. This spring is not the time to move too quickly, removing and replacing any plants that don't look good. We must be patient and give our plants time to show new growth. Many plants, deciduous and evergreens alike, have experienced damage due to the harsh winter. If portions of your plants are not leafing out and showing new growth you may want to remove the upper 25% of the plant to try and stimulate new growth in the remaining portion of the plant. One thing we want to avoid is pulling out the plant too soon. When the root system is established and the plant is ready to grow it would be unfortunate to take it out and start all over getting the plant established.

General- We are still a week (May 15) away from our frost free date in this area but there is plenty to do in the yard. I'm sure you have all the planting areas cleaned up, any winter weeds removed and have last year's mulch or compost in place and ready to be tilled in so you are ready to plant soon. It is a good idea to take a soil test every couple of years so you know what amendments are needed to adjust nutrition and pH. Soil testing is particularly important in the area where you will have your vegetable garden. Most soils in the Miami Valley do not need lime as the pH is already quite alkaline. Gypsum is a good addition to your soil as a source of calcium and an agent that can help with soil compaction and drainage.

Plants to plant now- Since we still have the threat of frost let's plant frost tolerant plants. All the Cole crops can be planted from transplants or 'starts'. It is time to plant others from seed like carrots, radishes, beets, peas, lettuce, onions and spinach. Potatoes could have been planted in March most years but due to the colder temps this spring you can still plant them now. All the bare root veggies like rhubarb and asparagus should be planted now.

There are a number of annuals that can be planted now and will tolerate frost. Pansies, Snapdragons, and Dianthus provide fabulous color along with many perennials including English Daisies, Mt. Pinks, and many more. They will tolerate frost and all these early plantings become well established while the weather is cool, this will get them off to a fabulous start and they will reward you for the early start when you plant them while it is cool and plenty of rains. Trees and shrubs are ready to plant so let's get going.

If you have a gardening question send it to info@meadowveiw.com for a prompt response.


30 years of Growing
Meadow View Growers
New Carlisle, OH
www.meadowview.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Landscaping/Gardening Information:

Related Articles

Companion Planting
If you look closely at the natural landscape, you'll never see a large area populated by a single species. Why then would it make sense to plant a single crop in a field or in a section of your garden? It doesn't.
Home for a Gnome?
Kitsch is defined by several dictionaries as relating to poor quality or gaudy art objects that appeal to "low-brow" taste. But in the garden, kitsch categorizes folksy or commercial art that's viewed condescendingly by some, and with irony by others.
Flowers and Butterflies, the Perfect Combination!
Spring is coming fast and with it the colors of the world come to life. The spring season is not just a time for the gardens to bloom, but a season for the butterfly to come to life as well.
Tuscan Garden Design
If you're looking for a beautiful, old world garden style, then you should look into designing a Tuscan garden design. There are several different things that you can do with a Tuscan garden design, but there are a few things that you should keep in mind if you're planning on a Tuscan garden design.
Oregano: Joy of the Mountain
Known as "joy of the mountain," Origanum vulgare is commonly called culinary oregano or Turkish oregano. Oregano is a close relative of marjoram and is also known as pot marjoram.
Tips On Caring For Your Cut Flowers
Imagine it's a special occasion and you've just received a glorious bunch of roses. You put them in your best vase and you stand back to admire them.
How to Create a Wildflower Garden
In today's gardens often populated by geraniums, roses, and zinnias, wildflowers can provide a simple and graceful flair. Almost any garden or landscape can be beautified by their presence.
Working with Landscape Contractors
Having a beautiful and functional landscape is every homeowners dream. Hi, My name is John C Wilkes III and I have worked in the landscaping industry for over a decade.
Making Memories with Flower Gardening
Flower gardening is not only about the present, but can be about the past as well. Although this article is ostensibly about flower gardens, it is really more about carrying memories forward.
Introduction to Aquaponics
Hydroponics and aquaponics are very similar in every way except hydroponics requires the addition of fertilizer and there's no fish in the nutrient solution.In aquaponics, plants and fish live a symbiotic life with the fish feeding the plants, and the plants cleaning and filtering the fish's environment.
How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone
When starting a new plant from a leaf or stem cutting, thecutting will be more likely to form roots and create a newplant if a rooting hormone is used.While commercial rooting hormone can be used there areorganic homemade versions that work as well.
How to Find and Work With a Porch Swing Contractor To Install the Porch Swing of Your Dreams
You've found a great Porch Swing and you know exactly where you want to put it, and it's not on the Porch. If you're a Do-it-Yourselfer, no problem.
Gardening and Flowers
Gardening is one of life's pleasures whether you grow flowers, vegetables or herbs; we look forward to the planting season. But whether you are new or seasoned gardener, it's important to remember a few basic things.
Straw Bale Culture Technique
In general, plants grown in straw bales appear to require less water than when grown in soil. Another benefit to using straw bale culture is the garden bed will turn into compost offering some additional nutrients to your vegetables and herbs.
Camellias
Camellias Named by Linnaeus in 1735 in honour of the Jesuit priest and naturalist Georg Josef Kamel, Camellia is a genus originating mainly from China but with a range covering a large area of South East Asia. The exact number of species is not clear but it is somewhere around 100.
Delavays Blueberry (Vaccinium delavayi)
Whether we know it or not, most of us are familiar with the genus Vaccinium as it has among its members several current or potential commercial crops, such as blueberry, cranberry, bilberry and huckleberry. Vaccinium delavayi, however, is strictly ornamental and very unlikely to be our next export success.
The Many Types of Palm Trees
There are thousands of species of Palm Trees. They are considered to be tropical in nature, but most people are not aware that cold hardy palms may be planted outside without any visible damage from temperatures as cold as -20°F.
Thyme: The Herb of Courage
Garden thyme, fresh or dried, alone or combined with parsley and bay leaves to make a bouquet garni, adds a distinctive aromatic flavouring to meats, poultry, stews, sauces, and stuffing. Thymus vulgaris, commonly known as cooking thyme, English thyme, French thyme, or winter thyme is just one of the 350 species of the genus Thymus.
Growing Your Own Herbs for Tea
If you love herbal teas, as I do, you know they are just a little bit pricey. However, growing your own herbs is easy and so much fun!Here are just a few of the herbs you might want to consider for a tea garden:Chamomile: Remember the favorite tea of Peter Rabbit? Only the flowers of this fragrant herb are used when making tea.
Orchid Myths -The Truth
Here are some of the popular orchid myths#1 Orchids are CarnivorousThey are not, in fact, they pollinate by luring insects to them but they do not eat the insects. This helps the orchid gardeningOrchid Myths#2 Orchids come from the TropicsSome orchid flowers do come from the tropical climates but they grow in any climate and in any country, even Alaska.