At the beginning of spring, the first rays of the sun find all gardeners in their gardens. With the end of winter and the beginning of the new season, there is a lot to do, which includes the following.
Ornamental plants:
• Loosening the lawn: from the end of March, the grass starts to grow, it is time to remove the moss and the felt layer. First, cut the grass approx. 2 cm high left. After that, loosen and ventilate the lawn once lengthwise and once across.
• Pruning back roses: as soon as the goldenrod begins to bloom, it is time to prune some roses vigorously. The bed, tea and high-trunk varieties are cut back to 3-5 seeds and the diseased and weak shoots are also removed. Thin the crowns of creeping and bush roses and cut the branching canes back to thirds. Finally, it is recommended to fertilize the plants, for example with mature compost.
• Division of flowering perennials: with the exception of bushes that bloom in the spring, most flowering shrubs can be dug up before sprouting and propagated by division. Work compost into the soil before planting.
• Cleaning the garden pond: it is worth removing the protective nets against falling leaves. Coastal plants left standing in autumn are now recommended to be cut back.
• Defense against slugs: if we already catch the first generation, we will fight less with slugs in the summer. It is worth placing traps (e.g. wooden slats, overturned flower pots) from which molluscs can be collected in the morning.
• Putting out potted plants: as soon as no more hard frosts are expected, we can take the potted plants out of their wintering place and slowly acclimate them to the outdoor terrace or balcony.
Things to do in the vegetable garden:
• Growing tomato seedlings: you can sow tomato seeds from the beginning of March, grow them on a south-facing windowsill. After about 2 months, we will be able to plant the plants in a sheltered place in the open field or in a greenhouse.
• Planting lettuce: in warmer weather, pre-grown lettuce seedlings can be planted already in mid-March. Don’t plant them too deep, because then they tend to rot.
• Sowing cruciferous vegetables: cruciferous vegetables such as kohlrabi or cauliflower can be sown in the cold bed at the beginning of March. After roughly 35 days, the seedlings can be planted outdoors.
• Cut back stale spices: rosemary, thyme, peppermint max. we can shorten it by two-thirds. In this way, we promote the dense, bushy shape and the development of aromatic leaves.
• Blackberry pruning: Cut back the two-year-old canes above the ground (recognizable by their dark bark) before the leaves sprout. Guide the green shoots up onto the support and trellis, and cut the side shoots back to 2 buds.
• Completion of fruit tree pruning: the winter pruning of trees is completed in March. Remove branches that compete with each other or grow inwards, and cut back all diseased and dead shoots to the healthy part.
