By Valerie Reinhardt, Horticulture Manager

Winter sometimes seems never ending, especially if you want to garden. But you don’t have to wait for it to be frost free to get out in the garden. Late winter and early spring are great times to get gardens ready for planting and perform other garden chores that are best done while plants lay dormant.

Major pruning is best done when trees and shrubs are dormant, except for spring-blooming shrubs or ones that bloom on old wood. Those not-so-frigid days of winter can be an excellent time to take care of overgrown shrubs, fruit trees, or summer and fall bloomers. Late winter and early spring are also a good time to cut down any perennials that were not cleaned up in the fall, like ornamental grasses or perennials left for winter interest. Old growth can be trimmed down to the ground before new spring growth begins, making for a fresh start in the spring. 

Pruning unwanted growth

It is important to prune grapes while still dormant to reduce sap bleed that can open the plant up to disease. Grapes are vigorous growers and severe pruning is necessary for good fruit production. It is important to get rid of new canes and leave eight to ten spurs along the main canes with a couple of buds each for the new growth. Brambles also need pruning at this time, taking out old canes but leaving last summer’s new canes in place for fruiting. Apple trees need waterspouts removed, branches thinned out to open the inside to sunlight and damaged branches removed.

With the spring thaw, the ground becomes workable which makes it a good time to divide perennials before new growth begins. You should also think about working on garden beds by removing overwintered weeds and adding compost or other soil enhancers. You may also consider building a raised bed that can give you a jump on planting.

Iris croms ready for planting

Early spring is a great time to plant many crops including peas, lettuce, spinach and carrots. Peas peter out once the weather gets hot, lettuce and spinach are quick to bolt in the heat, and carrots taste sweeter when grown with cool nights and warm days. Other cold-tolerant annual vegetables include beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, and Swiss chard. One caveat though is that your garden must be well drained for these crops to flourish. Though these plants can take the cooler temperatures, cold, compacted and soggy ground reduces available oxygen and harbors anaerobic bacteria that can cause seeds and roots to rot.

Other items to consider are perennial crops like asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries. These plants need well worked up beds started in the early spring while the plants are dormant. Once roots or crowns are planted, they are left to grow the first year, removing any flowers and fruit so energy goes into root development. These plants take a year to establish before enjoying their harvest but can be harvested year after year with the proper care. March is also the time to start warm-season crops inside if you plan to start them from seed.

Don’t let the cold keep you out of the garden! Bundle up and grab your garden tools—spring is on its way and the garden is waiting.