Grow Your Spring Garden
April showers have passed and we’re seeing May blooms popping up. What can you do now to set your flower and vegetable gardens up for success for the summer and fall?
Fruit & Vegetable Garden tips
The first step in starting your garden is to pick the specific items you want to include and finding the right space on your property. Once you’ve plotted it out, you’ll need to acquire the appropriate tools and supplies for planting as well as protecting your produce.
For each plant you consider, research how much space and sunlight it requires for optimal growth. Also think about when you will be able to harvest fruits and vegetables. If you plan to harvest throughout the growing season, it’s wise to mix up your bloom times. But if you prefer to harvest at once, choose plants that will flower together.
Here are some of the most common plants grown in Massachusetts, including when they should be planted according to UMass:
Kale (May through Mid-July)
Lettuce (April through late-July)
Broccoli (April through August)
Eggplant (May through June)
Peppers (May through June)
Tomatoes (May through June)
Cauliflower (March through August)
Celery (April through June)
Brussels sprouts (June through July)
Before you start digging, check to see if any of your plants should start as seedlings indoors and be transplanted once the weather is consistently warmer. Remember to keep it fun! Gardening can be a serene solo activity or something engaging to do with the kids.
Flower Garden Tips
Many factors impact the success of your flowering plants and trees. Different months of the year, weather and soil conditions dictate what will grow best. Here are some success-drivers for mid-Spring gardening.
Caring for roses:
Trim climbing roses and ensure they attached security to fences or trellises.
Scatter crushed eggshells in a thick ring around roses to keep the slugs away.
Garden bed and planter box tips:
Divide late-summer or autumn-flowering perennials.
Don’t cut the leaves off spring-flowering bulbs that are dying or yellowing, as they will help the bulbs ripen for the following year.
Weed your garden before the weeds drop seeds! Mulch between and around plantings to keep weeds at bay and retain moisture.
Moles and insects start to make a more regular appearance in May. The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a great visual site to help identify pest damage and disease and determine prevention and treatment plans.
Spread some lime or wood ashes around delphiniums and peonies.
Now is the time to plant annuals (flowers)!
Encourage constant flowering by removing spent blossoms and keeping them watered.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs as soon as the flowers fade.
Stake up and support your tall plants before they start to droop
As the weather warms up, increase the frequency of watering
Begin planting warm-season annuals and summer bulbs, such as dahlias and cannas.
Mow your lawn when the grass is dry and never cut more than one-third off the total grass height to keep your lawn healthy
We love to share photos of gardens and landscaping to provide inspiration and spread some joy – send us yours to team@suzandco.com!