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
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2015
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