Spring has finally arrived in St. Louis, even though the temperatures haven`t stayed warm lately. At least the snow is over, or so we hope. We now just have to work around the rainy month of April--something both plants and a St. Louis gardener loves. It`s now time to get your shovel and rakes out of the shed and get to work on the spring garden. There are many aspects that go into different spring gardening. From flowers to vegetables, everyone has their own unique garden that they desire.
A good way to start is to clean up all the leaves and twigs that mother nature left behind from the winter months. Cut back ornamentals to get rid of the dead growth, setting the mower to its highest setting makes this process simple rather than being down on all fours. Fertilize and water afterwards to promote new growth. This is a good time to cut back roses and get rid of the dead wood from the winter. Heavy pruning can also be done with the plant still being dormant, try to never prune the rose bush back more than 18" from the ground. If a winter mulch was in place, remove it now and add organic matter to the soil. A good time to prune back box woods would be to wait after April 15th in the St. Louis Area, this is also the time pre-emergent should be in place to control crabgrass in lawns.
It may be time to renovate that garden and plant the one you`ve always dreamed of. A lot of nurseries are starting to get there stock in, go out and look for ideas of what to plant. Remember to keep in mind if the growing site is in the shade or gets a lot of sun during the day. Different plants grow in different situations. There is a wide array of plants these days that fits everyone's budget and needs. Try to got down some notes or questions to ask the nursery staff what they suggest. I always suggest going to a garden or nursery and not the local hardware store. They seem to be more informative on what to plant and suggest to your needs. Whatever you decide, do it with a smile on your face and earn your Green Thumb this growing season.
