Preparing your garden for spring planting
Candace Godwin
Remove thick layers of mulch from garden beds so they can warm up faster in the spring. About half of the straw mulch was removed from this bed of overwintered garlic.
CANDACE GODWIN/Courtesy
Compost is rich in organic matter that feeds the organisms in your soil.This in turn, feeds your plants. Spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of quality compost on your garden in the spring.
CANDACE GODWIN/Courtesy
Leave the leaves and avoid excessive tidying up in early spring. Many beneficial insects overwinter in fall leaves and debris. Wait until the weather warms to clean piles.
Welcome to another season of Growing in North Idaho, a bi-weekly gardening column written by University of Idaho Extension Kootenai County Idaho Master Gardeners. We bring evidence-based information that is timely and relevant to our unique growing season.
Idaho Master Gardeners are delighted to share our vast knowledge of gardening information — in fact that’s our mission: Helping People Grow.
Speaking of growing, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your gardens for spring planting. While we’re still a week or so away from planting out cool-season crops (even they need the soil to be a bit warmer), here are a few tips to help you prep your garden for the coming growing season.
First, consider going "no-dig" in your established vegetable garden this year. This practice is exactly what it sounds like — no turning of the soil with a rototiller or a shovel. The only digging is to create a planting hole or sowing trench.
The constant digging or turning of soil on established garden beds destroys the structure, removes the essential space for oxygen and water, and can actually compact the soil. Plus, rototilling is especially destructive on the macro- and micro-organisms living in the soil.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, turning the soil brings all those buried weed seeds to the surface, where they will happily germinate.
I'm a huge advocate for mulching; it keeps weeds down, moisture in and cools the soil in summer. However, coming into spring, mulch keeps the soil cold. To help warm the soil in beds that have been thickly mulched, remove about half the material in early spring.
Next, feed your soil with a good 2-inch layer of quality compost. Your soil is the foundation of your garden; healthy soil means healthy plants. Compost brings organic matter to the soil, improves its structure and feeds the organisms and bacteria, which in turn, feeds your plants.
Be cautious of using compost made from municipal bio-solids on edible plants. This material works wonders on lawns, shrubs and flower beds, but you may not want to use it on edibles.
There is no need to dig in compost — it will gradually work down into the soil over the season. If the bed is mulched, rake it back, add the compost and rake the mulch back in place.
This time of year, the urge for spring cleaning is great, but resist tidying-up too much. Many pollinators and beneficial insects overwintered in dead leaves and debris around the garden. Leave the fallen leaves until the temperature is consistently at 50 degrees, allowing insects to come out of hibernation.
If you've started cool-season crops from seed, begin to harden them off before planting. This process acclimates tender plants to the outdoor environment. Start by placing seedlings outside for an hour in a shady, protected area. Gradually increase the time and light over the next seven to 10 days. Skip any days of inclement weather (windy, wet or excessive cold).
Our spring weather is very unpredictable, so once seedlings are planted, keep frost cloths or floating row covers, cloches or other frost protection items handy for sudden drops in temperatures. A cold frame or low tunnel made of greenhouse plastic placed over a raised bed makes a great mini greenhouse to protect plants.
The Idaho Master Gardener program in Kootenai County is a volunteer-based program. Our 44 volunteers not only love to grow things, but also love to share their knowledge. We offer a free diagnostic plant clinic two days a week at our office in the UI Research Park in Post Falls from April through September. This is where you can bring your gardening questions, problems or samples to us — free of charge. In addition, we are at Kootenai County Farmers Market to answer your questions many Saturdays during the season.
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Candace Godwin is a Certified Idaho Master Gardener. The University of Idaho Extension, Kootenai County Idaho Master Gardener program is located in the UI Research Park, 958 S. Lochsa St., in Post Falls. Learn more about us at https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/county/kootenai/garden or on Facebook. Visit us in person, email us at kootenaimg@uidaho.edu, or call us at 208-292-2525. IMG services are free to the public.
