Experts tips for the spring garden of the spring garden

After a long cold winter, I dream of the time that I will later spend in the garden in spring and summer. Shawnee County Extension Master Gärtner have some advice to start. If you didn't cut your perennials in autumn, it is now time to do this. It is important to remove the growth of the last year before new growth in spring in order to offer your plants a lot of space to shine.

Spring is also a good time to refresh the mulch in their landscapes. Mulch acts like a blanket for the floor and reduces the evaporation of the water that you put on your plants and keeps the soil temperature more stable. Organic mulches such as wood chips or straw are fantastic to use because they collapse over time and improve the soil.

Plan you and research systems to expand your garden

At the beginning of March, they start thinking about which plants you want to add to your landscape. It is still a bit early to bring new shrubs and plants into the ground, but it's a perfect time to plan. Before you go to kindergarten, I encourage you to check kansasroots.org. This website contains a compilation of all recommended plants for Kansas, from low -growing soil covers to the highest trees. The plants on this website are adapted to our Kansas climate.

Address invasive plants

In the early spring, remove invasive plants (as shown in Winter Creeper) from the landscape. These plants often exceed the plants we like, so that early detection and control is the key to their management. These plants, such as Callery pears and hinge, are very aggressive and can interfere with the local ecosystem. The master gardener Becky Harwick, Becky Harwick Invasive plants: Guide to identify and the effects and control of common North American species By Sylvan Ramsey Kaufman and Wallace Kaufman and Local alternatives to invasive plants By C. Colston Burrell, Janet Marinelli and Bonnie Harper-Lore.

Edible plants grow

Vegetable systems can not only provide delicious food, but can also be attractive for pollinators and help to prevent insect pests from colonizing their annuals and perennials. Connect the gardener Gärtner Linda Jakle on April 10 to learn more about what vegetables fit well in your flower bed. You can find more readings under Edible landscape design with a permaculture application: how you have your garden and eat it too By Michael Judd and Your edible farm: landscape design with fruit and vegetables by Crystal Stevens.

Integrate pest management

If you have problems with pests and diseases in your landscape and your garden, it may be time to use integrated pest control (IPM) that focuses on early detection in order to stop problems before starting pests and diseases. If control methods are required, IPM focuses on using the methods with the lowest environmental influences before jumping directly to spray a chemical. Master Gardener Kevin Siek on the 8th May 8th to learn more about taking over these practices in your home landscape and your garden. You can find more information at Grow more with less: sustainable garden methods for great landscapes with less water, less work and less money By Vincent A. Simeone.

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Written by Lane Vienna, Shawnee County Horticulture Extension Agent