It’s time to start your summer flowering bulbs….

Tender summer flowering bulbs add beauty and long lasting color to your home landscape.  Tuberous begonias should be started directly in pots or flats of a peat perlite mix and kept at 68 to 75 degrees for sprouting to occur.  The plants should be kept in a sunny area once the pink shoot starts to grow.  Plants should be kept evenly moist and fertilized every two weeks (avoiding fertilizers with ammonia salt sources).  Plants can be moved outside after the danger of all frost is past.  You can refer to HYG-1244-92 for more information on starting begonias and other summer flowering bulbs.

Thinking about planting broccoli and cauliflower?

Early April is an ideal time to plant broccoli and cauliflower in your home garden.  Both plants do best when set out as transplants rather than planted from seed. A liquid fertilizer applied at the time of transplant will get them off to a good start. Brocolli may be spaced 18 inches apart with 24 inches between rows, with cauliflower needing 24 inches between plants. Growing conditions are best when the daytime temperatures are between 65 and 80 degrees.  Fact Sheet HYG-1605-92 can provide additional information on growing these early crops.

Producing the best transplants…

Starting seeds indoors allows the gardener to select the exact varieties they want, rather than being limited  to varieties selected by the commercial growers.  It is important to have transplants that are free of insect and disease problems. Plants should not be too large, and if grown in a common container should not have a significant number of roots removed when pulling the plants apart.  Plants should be slowly acclimated to field conditions through the “hardening-off” process, which reduces water, temperature and fertilizer.  Vegetables that are easy to transplant include broccolli, cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes.   Bulletin 672-01 includes detailed information on seed treatments and disease management for transplants.

Establishing a rose garden with bare rooted plants….

Early spring is an ideal time to plant bare rooted roses.  One of the most important keys to success is selecting the right location.  At least six hours of direct sunlight is needed for optimal flowering and growth, with full sun or an eastern exposure preferable.  Also avoid planting roses near trees and shrubs which will compete with them for nutrients and moisture.  The site should be open to allow for air circulation and the soil should be well drained.  

Bare rooted plants should be planted as soon as possible after purchasing or receiving them through the mail.  Soak the root system in a bucket of water for about an hour prior to planting.  If planting must be delayed for a few days, keep the plants moist and in a cool, dark location or in a temporary soil trench in a shaded location.  See Fact Sheet HYG-1212-96 for more information on planting and maintaining your rose garden.

Mulch it rather than bag it…

A high quality lawn can be maintained without the time and effort involved with bagging and removing grass clippings.  Grass clippings contain valuable nutrients that can generate up to 25 percent of your lawn’s total fertilizer needs.  Grass clippings do NOT contribute to thatch since clippings are 75% water and decompose quickly.  Mowing frequency is key to your success with this method, as no more than one third of the total leaf surface shoud be removed at any one mowing.  Recommended mowing heights vary based on the type of grass, but generally fall between 2 and 2 and one half inches. 

Selecting and planting landscape plants….

Landscape plantings provide more than beauty around your home.  They can make your home more comfortable by absorbing heat from the air, lower windspeed, provide erosion control and noise reduction and provide privacy screening.  It is important to select plants that will adapt to your soil and lighting conditions and that will grow to a size that fits with your plan.  Proper preparation of the site is important to the long term success of your garden.  Most Ohio soils are not well drained, and plants benefit from being planted somewhat higher than they were in the nursery.  You can read more planting tips and learn about taking care of your landscape plants by reading Fact Sheet HYG-1014-97.

Looking hardy varieties of seeds for your vegetable garden this year?

Franklin County Extension and the Master Gardener program joined together in 1999 in  an evaluation project to gather information on plant performance and yield.  They tested tomatoes, beans, squash, peppers, potatoes and sweet potatoes.  Despite challenging growing conditions (both weather and pest problems) they found some cultivars that yielded good results.  These included ‘Bush Early Girl’ tomatoes, ‘Benchmark’ and ‘Tenderpick’ beans and ‘Yukon Gold’ potatoes. 

Landscaping in dry areas of your yard…

You may have some areas in your yard that routinely dry out faster than others, making landscaping a challenge.  Your problem may be due to poor soil texture characteristics or may be the result of a shaded exposure.  Adding organic matter and mulching to a depth of at least two inches will help reduce moisture loss and irrigation systems can help reach those areas that see limited rainfall.  There are also many plants that are more tolerant to dry conditions.  Trees that you may want to consider include the Amur maple, Virginia pine, Sassafras or the Japanese pagoda.  Shrubs that are drought tolerant include Barberry, Flowering quince, Russian olive, Common witch-hazel, Rugosa rose and Nannyberry viburnum.  A complete list can be found in Fact Sheet HYG-1055-88.

Establish a raspberry bed this spring….

What could be better than a bowl of fresh raspberries?  Many gardeners shy away from raspberries because they are perceived as being difficult to grow, but with new cultivars the effort can be worth it.  Two years are required to establish a raspberry planting, but once established, the planting can remain productive for several years if given consistant care.  Raspberries come in a variety of colors and are classified as either summerbearing (one crop in early summer) or everbearing (crops in both the spring and fall).  Raspberries are most productive when grown in a sandy loam soil that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.  Early spring planting is preferred, with plants placed in hedgerows or using a hilling system.  Some varieties do not require trellising, but all must be kept free of weeds, watered when necessary, and be fertilized and pruned regularly.  Request Fact Sheet HYG-1421-98 for complete details on establishing a raspberry bed.

It’s time to plant spring peas!

In Ohio, fresh peas planted in early spring are generally ready for harvest by early June.  Peas are grown for either their seeds or their pods, with the harvest time dependent on how they will be used.  Snow peas have edible flat pods and very small seeds, and should be picked just as the seeds start to form.  Sugar snap peas are also an edible pod pea, but can be grown to full size and then eaten like snap beans.  Peas which are grown for their seeds should be harvested as soon as the pods are well-filled, but the seeds are still tender.  You can select from low-growing varieties that do not need to be staked or climbers that need to be grown on a trellising system.  Peas can be grown in a variety of soils but you must have good drainage.  Fact Sheet HYG-1617-92 contains additional information that will assure your success with growing peas.

Don’t relegate all hostas to your shady areas…

As you are thinking about your spring planting, don’t overlook the hosta as an option in sunny areas.  While many varieties thrive in low-light areas, some of the newer varieties are very tolerant of full sun. These varieties include ‘Blue Umbrellas’, ‘Gold Edger’, and ‘Shade Fanfare’. Be sure to check the light requirements when you purchase a hosta, as a shade variety will may suffer from leaf scorch and color deviations.

Hosta leaves come in many shapes and colors, and many produce flowers that are fragrant.  Sizes range from very tiny to up to four feet tall, making the hosta an plant you can use in any part of the garden. In the spring, hostas should be divided before their leaves unfold, by either cutting away a section of the clump with its roots or by lifting the clump and separating it.  Read more about the care and cultivation of hostas in Fact Sheet HYG-1239-92.

Will staking that new tree help it or hurt it?

Most people assume that newly transplanted trees must always be staked to keep them upright.  This is true in areas that are subject to high winds, but may not be necessary in other areas.  In fact, trees up to two inches in diameter rarely require staking. Research has been done measuring the effect of rigid supports on staked trees, and unstaked trees were found to have greater trunk diameter and bigger root systems than most staked trees. Guy wires that are left on a staked tree can also end up girdling the tree.  Fact Sheet HYG-1141-94 can help you determine if your new tree needs staking, and if so, the best method to do it.

Starting to plan where to plant your annuals?

Annuals are an inexpensive way to add all season color to a perennial garden.  Some annuals, such as pansies, snapdragons, stocks and calendulas can withstand light frosts and can be planted early in the spring to give you a headstart on color.  You can give 
these annuals a great start by choosing a site that is well drained, with soil that has been prepared beforehand to receive transplants.  Breaking apart the soil root mass at the time of transplanting will help your annuals establish their root systems quickly.  It’s also important to match the site to the needs of your plants.  Fact Sheet HYG-1223-92 can help with selecting the right annuals for your site and maintaining them through the season.

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All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.

Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868

Revised January, 2002