Spring is the start of a new growing season. The success of growing various crops, their ability to bloom and bear fruit depends on how work will begin in the garden, vegetable garden or summer cottage.
Many, even seemingly insignificant, factors, if they are not given enough attention, can have unpleasant consequences in the future. Moreover, these consequences can manifest themselves not only in the form of a poor harvest, but also endanger the health and life of plants.
We can say that the spring period is the most responsible throughout the year.
Content:
Read also: Perennial flowers (TOP 50 species): garden catalog for giving with photos and names | Video + Reviews
Introduction
Spring care for apple trees
According to the calendar, spring is divided into three months, but the processes taking place in nature pay no attention to this division. It is impossible to draw up a plan of certain works, tying it to some specific dates. In regions belonging to different climatic zones, the processes of awakening nature begin at different times, which, moreover, can change from year to year.
Therefore, the terms of certain works usually begin depending on weather conditions or some significant events. These may be the achievement of a certain temperature by air or soil, the disappearance of snow cover, the cessation of return frosts, etc.
The work carried out on the site can be conditionally divided into two groups: required and desirable. This division is relatively simple and clear: for example, no matter what crops are grown, after the winter the site will need cleaning and some kind of preliminary preparation.
All work on the site must be planned in advance. In this case, one should focus not only on what plants will be grown on the site this season and what growing techniques will be used.
Grafting fruit trees in spring
An important role will be played by the personal experience of the gardener, since you need to be sure that how the garden will respond to the work being done, how long it will take, and, if changes are made, what action will need to be taken.
The work plan is not a dogma, it can be changed at any time depending on what events will occur during its execution. But, it is highly recommended to clearly define the time for each type of work and the deadlines for their completion, so as not to lose time and manage, if not everything, then at least some minimum program.
The article describes the work that should be done in the garden in the spring. The dates for the start and duration of work, tied to certain weather phenomena, are given. In addition, practical recommendations are given on what should be done without fail, and what should not be done categorically.
Read also: Cucumbers: description of 29 varieties, main characteristics and gardener reviews about them | (Photo & Video) Terms of work
Early spring in the garden
The approximate periods of work given in the article refer to the conditions of the temperate climate of the Middle Strip. Depending on climatic conditions in other regions, they can be shifted both to later dates and to earlier ones.
So, for example, in Voronezh, the snow melts approximately by the end of March, while in the Urals this period can be shifted to the third decade of April. In warmer regions or countries (Rostov Region, Krasnodar Territory, Ukraine, Moldova), these dates may come even earlier - in early March.
The moment of melting snow in spring
It is convenient to divide spring work into three conditional periods:
- From the moment of snow melting until the average stable air temperature rises to +8°С. At this stage, there is a high probability of not only returning frosts, but also a repeated long-term cooling with snowfall and its rather long stay on the ground. During this period, preparatory work is carried out, as well as cold-resistant crops are planted. Some types of organic fertilizers are allowed. Before sap flow begins, it is recommended to prune most plants.
- Achieving an air temperature of + 12-15 ° C and warming up the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm. At the same time, sap flow begins and buds bloom in plants. At this time, more heat-loving crops are planted, the garden and vegetable garden are treated from pests, and mineral fertilizers are applied. Also during this period, most perennials are propagated vegetatively (by cuttings, dividing the bush, etc.) and planting fruit trees. This period is the optimal time for vaccinations.
- After the air temperature exceeds + 18 ° C, and the soil warms up to a depth of 50 cm. In fact, at this time, most plants are actively growing, and some species are flowering. Traditionally, during this period, seedlings are planted in open ground, and the earliest crops (parsley, peas, etc.)
The binding to temperature has a very simple explanation: the activity of plants depends mainly on it. The role of other factors (illumination, humidity, wind strength and direction) affects plant life to a much lesser extent, and, if necessary, can be adjusted.
Read also: Projects of country houses for 6-10 acres: 120 photos, description and requirements | The most interesting ideas
Beginning of the season. Jobs in March
Garden work in March
In early spring, the activities of gardeners and gardeners are more of an organizational nature. There is relatively little direct work with the soil.
This is not surprising, since the ground is still too cold, and sometimes even frozen.
Cleaning
Cleaning last year's foliage with a fan rake
The very first activity that should be done in the spring is cleaning the garden. Its meaning is to rid the garden of the garbage accumulated during the winter period, as well as to get an idea of the state of the site.
Debris removal is best done with a straight-toothed rake. They are well suited for removing fallen leaves and large debris.
The only drawback of this tool is that they can uproot some types of plants. To avoid this, in particular when harvesting lawns or dense plantings (eg raspberries), it is recommended to use a fan rake. They have soft teeth, in addition, their width can be adjusted.
It is recommended to completely collect all the garbage in the garden or garden plot and remove it from the site. If there is a desire to burn it, then it is better not to do this, at least burning all at once. After all, administrative responsibility is provided for the burning of garden waste.
Snow in early spring can melt in several stages, while thaws and return frosts alternate. This leads to the formation of a thick and hard ice crust on the ground and around the trees. Ice crust can damage tree trunks and shrubs. It is recommended to remove it with a fork.
apple tree in spring
big trash, e.g. broken branches, scattered covering material and the stones are removed by hand.
pruning
In the spring, in most cases, sanitary pruning of trees and shrubs is used. Only a small number of plant species use formative pruning.
Sanitary pruning consists in removing diseased, damaged or frostbitten branches. Depending on their thickness, it is produced with a pruner or a saw. In case of too serious damage (for example, cracking of branches in length), it is recommended to completely remove them. All sections remaining after this type of processing should be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and treated with garden pitch or oil paint.
For shrubs (mainly currants and gooseberries), thinning pruning is sometimes used - branches older than 5-7 years are removed. In addition, in the spring, all types of shrubs remove excess basal shoots. The same applies to coppice shoots in tree trunks.
Removal of shelters
This event should be held, perhaps one of the first, since in a closed space of shelters with an increase in air temperature associated with melting snow, plants can uproot.
Relatively cold-resistant plants should be completely freed from shelters, simultaneously removing debris around them. More heat-loving crops are released from shelters in early spring in two stages: at the beginning, the plants are only partially opened, providing ventilation of the shelter with fresh air, then, after about 1-2 weeks, the shelter is removed completely.
In the case of using covering materials for several years, they need to be inspected, cleaned, or even rinse if necessary and store until next use in the fall.
Protecting plants from the sun
plant shelter
At the beginning of spring, the intensity of solar radiation increases, and since the foliage of plants is absent, their trunks can overheat in the Sun and even get burned. At the same time, at night, or during return frosts, the temperature of the trunks decreases significantly. Such fluctuations can lead to the death of individual sections of plant tissues, the destruction of their trunks, which can cause the death of plants.
Shelter from exposure to sunlight can be implemented using a special protective net, or by installing trellises near plants that are particularly vulnerable to burns. As a rule, these are young trees or bushes.
Preparing the site for planting
Preliminary preparation of planting pits with laying fertilizers in them
In fact, this will be the first event to work directly with the soil.Usually, plots for planting are prepared 1.5-2 months before planting crops on them. Beds can be formed both directly at ground level, and with some elevation. At the same time, planting pits for trees and bushes.
Depending on the crop, the cultivation of which is planned, the site is dug to a predetermined depth and organic fertilizer is applied that is optimal for the crop. Usually, mineral supplements are not applied in early spring. This type of fertilizer is desirable to use when it is necessary to feed the plant "here and now."
In the case of delayed planting, mineral fertilizers will be more preferable, since they need a much longer time to soak the soil. The laying of mineral fertilizers can either lead to the appearance of places of their local concentration (which will subsequently lead to chemical burns of the crop), or even to wash them out of the soil layer.
After fertilization, the site is re-dug or harrowed. Completes the preparation of the site by watering it.
Planting the earliest crops
Planting plants in several rows with a rope tag
In March, only cold-resistant vegetable crops are planted in open ground:
Usually, the seeds of the above crops do not require long-term cold stratification. As a rule, crops are produced after 1-2 days from soaking in warm water.
Ornamental plants include:
Planting tulips and other bulbs
Here, flower growers and summer residents should not rush things too much and try to plant all crops on flower beds early. Even the listed crops are recommended to be planted at the beginning of the summer season with caution, postponing the planting dates for their bulk to mid-April.
Due to the vagaries of the weather in March, you can still expect the return of frost and it would be more expedient to plant ornamental plants in flower beds, how much to prepare them for a later planting, adding a small amount of fertilizer in the form of urea or humus.
In any case, most other, more heat-loving crops are recommended to be planted in a greenhouse or sown in seedlings. Although most crops grown as seedlings at home were sown in February, seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and cucumbers are still allowed to be planted in March.
Pest and disease treatment
Spraying plants in early spring before foliage appears
At the end of March (sometimes at the beginning of April), even before the start of active sap flow and the awakening of insects, it is recommended to take the first measures to combat pests and diseases. At this stage, the focus will be on diseases. Pest control cannot yet be effective, since most harmful insects are hibernating and the use of insecticides, even those with long duration of action, will be ineffective.
Prevention of fungi will consist in spraying tree trunks with a solution of copper sulfate (at a concentration of 3%) or Bordeaux mixture. Moreover, the latter remedy is more effective, since it contains lime that covers the tree trunk and provides some protection not only from fungus, but also from insects. In the future, antifungal prophylaxis with vitriol can be done every 3-4 weeks.
Before processing, it is recommended to clean the trunk of dirt and dead bark, carefully cut off various foreign bodies on the trunk with a knife and treat wounds on its surface with a garden pitch. Preliminary cleaning of the barrel should be done with a plastic spatula or brush.
If the trees were painted with lime in the fall, you can renew the whitewash in places where it has worn off. Whitewash is still able to protect trunks from small pests and rodents. But it is not necessary to completely whitewash the trunks in the spring - this is an exclusively autumn procedure.
Read also: How to get rid of ants in a house or apartment: the causes of their appearance, effective means to combat them and preventive measures April. Work in the middle of spring
At this time, fruit trees and perennials are usually planted.
Since most crops start sap flow in Aprilit makes sense to vaccinate them.
With fewer frosts, temperatures in April allow fluids to be handled more freely, which makes it possible to treat plants by spraying.
Works with greenhouses
The increase in air temperature in April leads to the fact that greenhouse conditions become too hot for some crops grown in them. Therefore, greenhouses in April begin to open for ventilation for a longer time. In some cases, it is even allowed to completely remove the covering in the form of a film from greenhouses and mini-greenhouses, since their protection from frost no longer makes sense.
Such events lead to a change in regimes glaze plants - they will need to be watered more often, as moisture will quickly evaporate from the surface, making it dry. At this stage, you should take more care of such plants, since there is a high probability of weeds appearing on the beds. Plantings of such crops are regularly loosened, and weed sprouts are removed as they appear.
Tree planting
The location of the seedling of the apple tree in the pit when planting
Recommended terms planting fruit trees - from the first decade of April to the first decade of May. At this time, any fruit trees and shrubs are planted. The planting mechanism of these plants is quite stereotyped and, in principle, practically does not depend on the variety.
Storage of purchased seedlings before planting takes place in the basement. As a rule, in this case, the plant, together with an earthen clod placed in sacking, stays in the cold with a temperature not higher than + 5 ° C.
Differences can be observed in the depth of the planting holes, the type of fertilizer applied and the methods of drainage. For example, when choosing a site for planting fruit crops, you need to know that the groundwater level for apple and pear trees should not be higher than 1.8 m, for plums and cherries - 1.5 m, and so on.
Otherwise, the procedure is more or less standard. In pre-prepared pits, cone-shaped earthen mounds are poured, on which seedlings are installed, filling them with earth mixed with fertilizers. Planting is completed by compacting the soil and watering.
Watering the tree after planting
Depending on the type of plant being grown, mulching and protecting young seedlings from the sun may be applied. In the case of preparing a pit during planting, the application of mineral fertilizers is more preferable.
Graft
The optimal timing of vaccinations is the first week after the start of sap flow. Usually, at this time, buds are just beginning to swell and bloom on selected crops.
Spring vaccination can be implemented using any of the following methods:
- in a split;
- in the butt;
- copulation;
- in a side cut.
Other grafting methods (for example, budding) are best done a little later - starting from May or June, when the processes of sap flow are most active.
Planting vegetable, berry and ornamental crops
Higher temperatures significantly expand the list of plants that can be planted in open ground. In addition to the previously listed cold-resistant crops, in April you can plant:
At the end of April, you can start planting berry crops:
- strawberries;
- strawberries;
- cranberries;
- currants;
- raspberries.
Black currant in spring
Among the flowers that are recommended to be planted in April, the following can be noted:
- bindweed;
- iberis;
- calendula;
- cosmea;
- poppy;
- lupine;
- peonies;
- daffodils;
- phloxes;
- chrysanthemums;
- delphinums;
- tulips;
- daylilies other bulbous.
planting tulips
Some ornamental plants can be sown in flowerpots or pots located on the terrace or balcony. At the same time, do not forget that with the onset of cold weather, it is recommended to bring them indoors.
Works with grapes
A separate part of the work in the garden is the care of grapes. This month, as a rule, the weeping of the vine begins and therefore it is recommended to take care of the culture in advance. All work related to the formation of bushes and vines must be completed at the beginning of the month.
Despite the fact that caring for grapes in the spring is relatively simple (spring formative pruning is not actually required for the crop), one should not forget about the possible consequences of wintering. If the bush is somehow damaged in winter, it should be re-cut correctly. In fact, this will be sanitary pruning, but it should be carried out in such a way as not to change the configuration of the shrub too much, made in the fall during the formative pruning.
Grape shoots should be pruned and treated with antifungal agents as early as late March or early April, before the start of sap flow.
Work with ornamental crops in mid-spring
Watering lawn grass in April
In mid-April, active work begins on the flower beds, as well as with other landscape design solutions. First of all, it should be noted work with roses. Already in the second decade of April, it is possible to plant roses with an open root system.
Around the same time, spring work is carried out in the rose garden:
- pruning;
- installation of supports and tapestry;
- rose fertilizer;
- mulching;
- pest control.
Active growth of grass on lawns also begins in April. Lawn care is recommended to start with garbage collection. Then it should be watered abundantly and replanted in areas where the grass has been trampled down or died. From the end of April, regular watering of lawn grass begins.
In the third decade of April, after the appearance of most of the leaves, carry out the first haircut of hedges and thinning of the crowns of shrubs.
top dressing
Adding wood ash to the planting hole
In April, the first top dressing of some perennial crops is traditionally performed. Usually, it consists of fertilizers in which nitrogen prevails. At this stage, it will be correct not to use saltpeter, preferring urea or superphosphate.
Of the mineral fertilizers, the most popular are rotted manure and compost harvested from last year. Wood ash is often used. It will help seedlings of all crops to get the missing minerals.
Read also: Veranda attached to the house - expanding the living space: projects, tips on how to create your own hands (200 original photo ideas)
May. Work in the garden at the end of spring
Planting seedlings of peppers in open ground
In most of the temperate climate, there is almost never a return frost in May, and the temperature rises to + 18-20 ° C during the day and rarely drops below + 12 ° C at night.
This means that, starting from about mid-May, it is possible to plant almost all crops in open ground, transplant seedlings and open greenhouses and hotbeds. The work in May is less varied than the activities in early spring, as it is mostly planting and caring for plants. Garden care in May has a completely different specificity than at other times of the year.
In May, most crops bloom and fruit ovaries form. In order to support the plants during this period, the active use of top dressing begins.
Planting plants and planting seedlings
Planting potatoes in open ground
To obtain abundant harvests, it is not enough just to grow seedlings. Most of the crops for which seedling cultivation was used need to be transplanted into open ground in May.
These cultures include:
As a rule, most of the listed crops have already passed the stage of picking into separate containers. They are planted in the ground together with an earthen clod, completely taken out of the container, otherwise the delicate root hairs can be damaged in the plant. This will cause the plant to have trouble getting nutrients from the soil.
Watering seedlings when planting in open ground is always accompanied by abundant watering. Often, when planting, pegs are installed to which young plants are tied.
planting cabbage
The following crops are planted directly in open ground in May:
- potato;
- cabbage;
- late carrots;
- beets;
- greens (parsley, dill, celery, lettuce, sorrel);
- onion sets;
- zucchini, squash, zucchini;
- radish.
Of the decorative cultures, the following can be distinguished:
Top dressing in May
Since in May almost all plants go into the flowering phase (and some even manage to complete it), to strengthen them, it is recommended to make phosphorus-potassium supplements. Ornamental crops are best fertilized with specialized complex fertilizers. Superphosphate is best for vegetable beds.
Often in the process of flowering and at its end, they use not only superphosphatebut also potassium sulfate. Of the organic fertilizers, the following will be most useful:
- compost;
- peat;
- bird droppings;
- wood ash.
As a rule, in May the second generation of green manure is planted for the season. They are used as fertilizer to grow later crops: various pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes.
Garden work in March
Work in the garden and garden in the spring (March, April and May): basic and preventive | (Photo & Video) +Reviews
Garden work in April
Work in the garden and garden in the spring (March, April and May): basic and preventive | (Photo & Video) +Reviews
Gardening in May
Work in the garden and garden in the spring (March, April and May): basic and preventive | (Photo & Video) +Reviews
