Seed packets have instructions on when they should be planted. Picking out seeds now while there are still plenty in stock is one way to prepare for the growing season this year.
Spring is not quite here, but that doesn’t mean those looking to have the best garden ever in 2017 shouldn’t be thinking about seeds and weeds already.
Although some days it still manages to dip to freezing temperatures occasionally, there is plenty to be done on days when it isn’t raining in February and March.
According to a list of monthly tasks from the Washington State University Clark County Extension, February is the time to prepare vegetable gardens for planting, once the soil is workable.
Getting the right time to plant is important and depends on whether it’s ornamentals, vegetables, annuals or perennials, said Karen Palmer, Hockinson resident and 16-year Clark County Master Gardener.
For perennial plants, Palmer said the sweet spot was to get them into the ground once the ice and snowy weather is done with but before it gets too warm. Roots need to be established in cooler soil and some natural rain is preferable during that time.
Generally mid-March into April is fine for hardier perennials. The general rule for annuals like marigolds is Mother’s Day weekend for planting, Palmer said.
Vegetable growing times are another story, Palmer explained.
“Each kind of vegetable has a little bit of a different requirement for both air temperature and soil temperature,” Palmer said.
For produce, paying careful attention to the guidelines on the seed packet was paramount for a solid yield. With planting times still a ways away, some tasks can be done ahead so that when the growing season is starting up, gardeners aren’t scrambling.
“Once it’s time to plant, you’re going to be busy,” Palmer said, “and it’s good to get those preliminary things out of the way.”
As of last week, Palmer said she was already pruning while her garden was still relatively dormant. Although the weather was harsh, trees are already starting to bud out given the periodic warmer days.
“Now’s a great time to be shopping for those seeds, while you have a good selection,” Palmer said, mentioning that from nurseries to big-box stores like Fred Meyer, many places have stock.
For vegetables, applying lime to the beds was another ahead-of-time task Palmer said, on a day where the weather cooperates early enough to give time for the additive to settle before planting.
Just because it’s “lime time” doesn’t mean it’s time for the heavier tools, Palmer explained, adding tilling or hoeing when the soil is wet can end up destroying the soil’s structure.
Pre-season upkeep also means checking watering systems, Palmer said, in order to make sure hoses are ready for another season. Leftover fertilizer might also be tired out over the winter which could mean a need to get a new bag as well. All beds, regardless of plant, can benefit from a fresh layer of compost, either from a bin that’s been at work over the winter, or fresh material from a nursery.
A mistake some gardeners make is applying a pre-emergent weed preventer like Preen to their beds prior to planting. Though the application might kill the weeds, it can also stop the crops gardeners want to grow from doing so, Palmer explained.
The weeds do have to go, though, and whether that is by way of a manual hoe or through a chemical that won’t kill the produce is up to the gardener’s preference, Palmer said.
After that initial weeding Palmer offered a recommendation for garden beds with pathways or ample space between crop rows; apply newspaper or cardboard before a top coat of compost in the rows to help keep things clear.
“That really helps suppress the weeds,” Palmer said. “Then that paper or cardboard decomposes and just becomes more organic manner.”
With the harsh weather in Clark County this year, plotting out what’s going to grow this season might be a good escape for gardeners wishing for sunnier days.
“Now’s the time to start dreaming,” Palmer said.
