Tips to get your garden growing this spring
A local horticulture expert explains how to set yourself up for gardening success
We are nearly three weeks deep into spring, and for many that means gardening season has begun.
And according to Kris Morettie, customer service specialist and marketing co-ordinator at Hamilton nursery, Terra Greenhouses, there’s been a boom in people wanting to cultivate their very own gardens. She attributes the trend to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and said in an interview with The Spectator that gardening is a productive way to be surrounded by pretty, living things.
“Throughout the winter of lockdowns, more people want that uplifting feeling of being surrounded in plants,” said Morettie, who has 20 years of horticultural experience under her belt. “Interacting with plants does improve our mood and our outlook, and it is something that’s healthy and engaging that we can do at home.”
But, if you are looking to start gardening this spring or are tending to an old lawn, Morettie said it’s important to do it right. Here are some of her best tips to start growing a healthy garden this spring:
It’s OK to rake this early in this season, but not too much
As the winter snow melts and the earth begins to heat up (and dry up), it’s important to clear debris from your yard to foster good plant growth, said Morettie, and early spring is a good time to do just that.
“Right now is a great time to rake up any debris that’s left on the lawn,” she said.
However, it’s important to consider the wildlife and pollinators that live in your garden when raking it up.
Morettie said bugs that live in the dirt should be deep enough in the soil that they won’t be disturbed by a basic rake job, but at this point in the season, it’s possible to disturb and kill bees that might be living inside the debris on your lawn. In order to preserve the safety of these important pollinators, Morettie said it’s key to keep an eye on whether or not bees and insects have been popping up in your garden. If they haven’t, then you should leave some of the debris on your garden so the bees can hibernate in peace.
Another good rule of thumb is to wait to clear debris until the weather is consistently “above a steady five or 10 degrees,” she added, which is the temperature at which pollinators like bees generally wake up from their hibernation and leave their winter lodgings for more dependable ones, leaving you free to clear the debris.
Make sure you’re cutting your grass right
It can be tempting to cut your grass as soon as it grows in this spring, but Morettie emphasized the importance of letting it grow out a bit before chopping it down.
“As new growth emerges, we want to make sure that it’s nice and strong and it gets to be a good one and a half to two inches before we look at that first mow,” she said, adding that it’s important to ensure your lawn mower is at the highest possible setting.
Now is the time to start planting
According to Morettie, once you have raked up the dead and flattened grass you can start planting seeds.
If you’re hoping to grow edible plants, particularly “warmer” plants like eggplants and tomatoes, this is the perfect time to place those seeds in your lawn. Before you do that, Morettie said you can apply an early-season fertilizer to promote plant growth. To keep your lawn neat and healthy, you can also put down weed prevention products. A great natural option is corn gluten meal, which “covers up those open soil surfaces that will sort of prevent having a space for weed seeds to germinate,” said Morettie.
Morettie added that people tend to stock up on seeds during this time, so it might be a good idea to call your local garden centre and purchase other “cooler” plants like lettuce and carrots that you plan on planting in late summer so they can be ready for the fall.
“Taking a look at your options and buying sooner rather than later is a good way to go, especially in 2021.”
But for Morettie, the No. 1 key to gardening is to enjoy it for all it’s worth.
“My biggest piece of advice is to not get too hung up on perfection and enjoy the process,” she said. “Making mistakes in your first garden is a great way to learn.”