It took a while to arrive, but it is now safe to say that spring is finally here, with these warm temperatures we have been enjoying. People have started to tend to their garden and plants are starting to bud and bloom.
Susan Jensen from Jensen’s Nursery and Garden Centre caught up with Classic 107’s Chris Wolf to talk about all things spring and what to do to get the most out of the garden for this year.
Now is the perfect time to put annuals in the ground. As Jensen explains, “Most of the planting contracts I do, happen in the mast week of May…first week of June.” Jensen is also quick to point out that watching the nighttime temperatures is crucial. “You can start planting now, but you want to be careful and watch those overnight lows. If you do put anything in the ground and the temperature is going to go low you will want to cover the pants up with a bed sheet, towel or frost blanket.” Perennials and shrubs are heartier and can be planted anytime.
Fertilizing is also something that can be done now. “You can… for your existing plants start fertilizing at this point…a lot of the nutrients in the soil have leached away over the winter time…so adding in some new nutrients is a perfect time now,” says Jensen. She recommends using a product called Evolve Organic Tree and Shrub fertilizer to fertilize once a week until the middle of July.
There is nothing better than fresh vegetables from the garden. Seed plants such as Carrots, beans and peas can go in the ground now. As Jensen explains, “The seeds are going to take about a week or so to germinate, and by then we should be past any frost time….things like lettuce, potatoes and cabbage like the cold and go in now. Things like tomatoes and peppers… you could start putting them in…but again you have to watch the overnight lows.”
For those thinking about planting a tree I their yard, Susan Jensen offers some helpful tips to ensure that you are getting the most out of your tree. “You want an area that is fairly sunny. An area that gets at least six hours of sun for most trees, and an area that isn’t too wet. Low wet spots are really hard for the trees to get going…so putting it in area that is a little bit higher with really good drainage, is one of the key things. The hardest thing on a tree or a new shrub is sitting in a low area with too much water.” Distance from the house is also important. “Typically, whatever the mature spread of the tree is going to be...if it’s going to grow fifteen feet wide, you probably want to stay fifteen feet away from the house, states Jensen.”
Voles have been a chronic problem this year. As Jensen explains, “The voles have also been eating trees and shrubs. I’ve never in my entire career seen them do this much damage. When they eat the trees…they eat the bark off, and they go right around. They call it girdling…if that bark is off completely around the tree, the likelihood of that trees surviving is nil.”
Things are much less dire if they have only tunneled through your lawn. Jensen suggests raking up any loose dirt and dead material from your lawn, fil the dips with soil and lawn seed keeping the area moist for a couple of weeks, and the lawn will return to its green glory.
Jensen’s Nursery and Garden Centre has everything you need to make your garden amazing! Susan and her sister Tammy and the rest of the team at Jensen’s have a wealth of knowledge to help you enjoy your garden. Whether it is the smells and sight of the flowers or the bounty of a successful vegetable garden, Jensen’s can help make 2023 the best year yet. They are located at the corner of McGillivary Boulevard and Brady Road. They also have an excellent online store that can be visited by going to jensennursery.com.
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