It's Your Life April/May 2015 | Page 11

April/May Spring Cleaning in the Garden Mary Smith It’s time again, to get your gardens ready for planting! If you’re an early starter like myself, you may have already started germinating seeds indoors. Before we transplant into the garden, it is important to do a bit of “Spring Cleaning.” -It is important to remember not to compact the soil in your garden area. If the soil is still damp, it is best to work around this area. If the soil is dry or hard then it should be okay to walk over. -If you used mulch last year, now is a great time to gather it up. Do not re-use mulch from areas where there were diseased plants. -Weed Control! This year we moved to a new homestead and the weeds were almost chest high in some places. To make things a bit more manageable, first use a weedwacker or tractor to cut down to a manageable size. Do not use chemicals or pesticides to kill weeds. There are several ways to rid your garden area of weeds. The first is a bit labor intensive, pull the weeds. Another option is to lay down Landscaping Cloth over your designated garden area. A more frugal option is to use recycled cardboard or newspaper. Both will need to be secured using something heavy like rocks or bricks. -Dead leaves as long as they are disease-free, can be used as mulch and are a great addition to a compost pile or bin. Compost is an excellent way to recycle kitchen “waste” such as bits and pieces of leftover veggies, eggshells, Compost is an excellent way to recycle kitchen “waste” such as bits and pieces of leftover veggies, eggshells, apple cores, citrus peels and more. It is not recommended http://www.thehomescholar.com/ totaltranscriptsolution.php 2015 11