by Sue Newhouse, suenewhouse@yahoo.com
Every year, after New Year’s creeps past, there’s one nice warm day that hints at the fact that spring is just around the corner. It’s the day I run to the nursery to see what’s available, knowing realistically I should wait until it’s at least close to April first before planting to avoid the last frost. However, even before I plant there are a few things that need to be done.
First and foremost, feed your soil! If you do nothing else, do this. Some people use fertilizers, I prefer organic material. I start by adding 2-3” of composted manures blended into the existing soil. This nutrient rich material improves the soil’s texture as well as retain moisture. It allows the roots to penetrate clay soils and allows plants to take up more air and water. The nutrients in the compost feed the plant and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and lastly, compost has been found to help suppress plant diseases. I can’t stress this enough – it all starts with the soil. The North Central Texas College Gainesville Campus Equine Facility has composted horse manure they freely give to anyone who wants to pick it up. They’ll tractor load your truck or trailer, or you can shovel it yourself. Contact Kelly Carr at kcarr@nctc.edu before you access the campus.
Next, get those roses and fruit trees pruned before first bud break. Since tree fruits are pruned differently than roses, you should locate specific information for each plant in question. Texas A&M has an extensive online library of information at http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu and look for pruning information.
Lastly, for this new 2010 year, do something different! Grow vegetables instead of flowers; plant a beautiful, edible vine; consider a new method of growing – square foot gardening perhaps (www.squarefootgardening.com). How about companion planting? This gardening method places beneficial plants together, such as asparagus and tomatoes allowing the tomatoes to protect the asparagus from the asparagus beetle. A companion planting chart can be found at http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/complant.html#chart. Learn something new by checking out www.FeedTexasFirst.org. This site connects you to local farmers who are having workshops specifically in the north Texas area. Suppose the small farmer needs help putting it in a drip irrigation system and you need to learn how to do this for your own garden. You provide the help the farmer needs and in exchange you gain the educational hands-on experience. Most of these sessions last only a few hours on a Saturday, so it’s minimal time investment on your part but a huge educational and networking opportunity for you.
Are you ready for spring? Gardening – whether it’s for food, aesthetics or just plain fun is guaranteed to encourage a lifetime of learning. Every year is a new opportunity to try new methods, varieties and styles of gardening. Happy planting!
