Garden for Spring - What to Plant?

In brief: The main spring garden jobs fall in March and April: clearing leaves, pruning shrubs and trees, planting a hedge (5 plants per 1 m) and renewing the lawn. At the beginning of April sow broad beans, peas, onions and parsnips, and carrots as early as March. Plant lettuce from the end of March at a spacing of 30 × 30 cm, and annuals only after the last frosts.

Warm rays of sun awaken nature all around to new life: perennial ornamental plants, fruit trees, and enthusiastic gardeners too. March and April are the most suitable months for starting preparatory work in the garden, or for starting to plant new ornamental flowers and woody plants and to create a home vegetable garden. Everything, however, depends on the weather, which in spring can sometimes be unpredictable and, especially in April, very changeable.

You should start garden work with a well-thought-out plan of what your garden will give back to you several times a year by blossoming beautifully or yielding a rich harvest. Nowadays, looking after your own garden is a suitable way to relax and a complement to the job you do, or to the lifestyle you pursue.

"A gardener needs a thousand and one hundred years to try, get to know and practically assess everything that needs to be done. I cannot give it to you any cheaper, unless I took off 5% because it is you and because perhaps you do not have to grow everything, although it is worth it; but you will have to hurry and not lose a single day, if you want to do everything that needs doing in that time. A person should finish what he starts; you owe that to your garden. I will not give you a recipe for it; you have to try it yourself and persevere. "

K. Čapek: The Gardener's Year

The start of spring in the garden

For gardeners, spring is the most demanding period of the year. The success of the whole season depends on the spring work done in the garden, as does the beauty of a garden that will delight not only its owner but also a chance visitor or passer-by. A wise gardener starts work after the last snow has gone and during sunny, dry weather.

A gardener's first steps should lead to removing forgotten fallen leaves from under fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. If you were negligent in autumn, you will find fallen leaves and dry twigs. The raked leaves can go on the compost, the dry twigs can be burned. Next we remove the winter mulch from perennials, roses and ornamental shrubs, but let us not throw it away, as it may come in handy if the weather suddenly worsens.

Next we should focus on:

• planting and replanting bulbs

During March, and in colder areas in April, spring bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths or crocuses begin to flower. We continuously remove the fading flower heads from them so that they do not needlessly form seeds. Afterwards they need to be lifted once their leaves begin to turn yellow. At this time we can also transplant snowdrops in full bloom and start planting summer bulbs such as gladioli and other types of tuberous and bulbous flowers.

• flowers - perennials and annuals

First of all we remove the dried parts of plants from the existing perennial bed and gently press back down any flowers that frost has heaved up, so that their roots do not dry out. Then we begin planting, or replanting, even those types of perennials that will flower in summer or autumn. We can start planting ornamental annuals directly in the flower beds. If dry weather persists, they need to be watered regularly.

• trees, shrubs and climbing plants

Already during March and at the beginning of April we start thinning and rejuvenation pruning of shrubs, hedges and trees that flower at the end of spring and in summer. We treat the cuts with latex or grafting wax, which prevents subsequent infection.

We start planting a hedge, where we use 5 plants per 1 m of hedge, but with cypresses and thujas we keep smaller spacings of roughly 40 cm. First of all, all ornamental shrubs should be checked for frost damage, and if there is any, the damaged twigs should be removed.

Fruit bushes such as gooseberries or raspberries are cut back hard. Hard pruning of the bushes triggers further intensive growth. At the beginning of April we finish the winter sprays against diseases and pests on fruit trees. It is good to dig over the area around the roots, fertilise it and lay mulch around them.

During April we also prune some types of climbing plants, such as large-flowered clematis, wisteria or honeysuckle. In mid-April we also plant evergreen broadleaf trees, new fruit trees and conifers. Freshly planted woody plants are watered often, and if they are in a sunny position, they need to be given slight shade. During April the planting of fruit trees and bushes must also be finished. The loose trunks of young trees should be tied to stakes.

• lawn

After the snow melts, grass grows like crazy. If we want a beautiful and, above all, short lawn in the yard, it is necessary to cut the grass right down at the end of April and rake the dead leaves out of it with a lawn rake. If there are spring bulbs such as daffodils or tulips in the lawn, it is good to wait until their leaves begin to turn yellow, because otherwise they would not flower again the following year. Then we sow a grass seed mixture on the bare patches, repair the edges of the lawn and remove moss from it. A trampled lawn can be aerated with special tools.

If you want to establish a new lawn this year, the right time is the end of March and the beginning of April. Before establishing it, you need to fertilise the soil well. At the same time it is important to choose the right substrate, level out any unevenness on the grassy area caused by winter, and level the edges. All these steps will save us a lot of time in the future. A new lawn is best mown only once it has grown to a height of about 7-8 cm.

• vegetables and other plants

At this time let us not forget the strawberry bed either, where we take care that it does not become overgrown with weeds. At the same time we remove dead leaves and runners that we had not noticed earlier. We can add potassium sulphate to the soil under the strawberries, as it supports the formation of soft tissues. To achieve an earlier harvest, we can cover the bed with strawberry plants with black polyethylene film with holes for the individual plants. The film prevents weed growth and excessive drying of the soil, and partly protects the fruit from dirt.

Once the soil is reasonably dry and the weather is warmer and more favourable, with small temperature fluctuations, we can sow vegetables - carrots, beetroot, beans or peas. Into a pre-prepared greenhouse we place pre-grown seedlings, e.g. of tomatoes.

How to create your own vegetable garden

Work in the vegetable garden depends mainly on the weather, which in spring is usually changeable. During sunny and dry weather the soil in the garden crumbles well, so it is a good time to prepare it for sowing seeds. First rake the soil surface gently, sorting out stones, twigs and other debris that do not belong in the bed. Then mark out the direction in which the vegetable rows will run.

The best orientation of the rows is north - south, so that the amount of incoming light is sufficient and the plants take in both the rising and the setting sun. If you run the rows in an east - west direction, the plants on the northern side of the rows are in shade all day, so they ripen more slowly and yield less. The next step is marking out the future rows. We mark the beginning of the first row with a stake and push a second stake, connected with string, in at the other end of the row to a depth of about 15 cm. Then we turn one of the stakes until the string is fully taut. Only then do we push the stake deeper into the ground.

Planting different kinds of vegetables

• Broad beans

First in line we can start sowing climbing vegetables such as peas and broad beans. Both are sown at the beginning of April. Broad beans grow to a height of about 60 cm, some varieties even to 120 cm, so we must provide them with support.

Broad beans are placed in medium-heavy to heavy soils rich in humus. Both plants have relatively large seeds, which we sow at a distance of 40-60 cm from one another. We keep these spacings for other kinds of vegetables too. Seeds of peas and broad beans can also be sown in double rows, by preparing one furrow about 20 cm wide and sowing the seeds along both of its edges, in two separate rows with a gap of about 15 cm between them. Finally we cover the seeds with soil and label the row with the sowing date, the name of the vegetable and its variety. A good final tip is to place a few extra seeds at the end of the row, to replace any seeds that fail to germinate. We protect them from bad weather with a cover.

• Peas

We know several kinds of garden peas, namely: sugar peas, wrinkled (marrowfat) peas and shelling peas.

Peas are generally an undemanding vegetable to grow. We sow them in the bed in deep soil from the end of March to the end of April. They have a long taproot which supplies the plant with water, so the plant does not need watering. When the plants are about 15 cm tall, we start weeding the pea bed; tall weeds and their subsequent removal can seriously damage the pea roots.

For taller plants we put in wooden supports at least 1 m long, otherwise the plants will fall to the ground and start to rot. We pick green peas when the seeds have reached their final size, at the milky ripeness stage. We pick the lower pods first, because they ripen earlier. Picking in good time encourages further flowering of the plant and thus the formation of pods. When picking is finished, we cut the pea plant just above the soil surface so that its roots stay in the ground. Plants subsequently planted in the bed after the peas will draw on the nitrogen produced by the nodule bacteria on the pea roots.

• Onions

In our climatic conditions we plant onions at the beginning of April, after the soil has dried out following winter. For growing onions the bed needs to be prepared as early as autumn. We dig the bed over to a maximum depth of 15-20 cm and leave it to settle. We place the seeds in light to medium-heavy soils enriched with humus to a depth of 1 - 1.5 cm. During the growing season we hoe the onion bed regularly so that it does not become overgrown with weeds, and we water the bed regularly during dry days. However, we do not water them in the second half of the growing season. Throughout the whole period of growth and ripening we do not earth up the onions, so that they do not form long necks. We harvest onions when their leaves begin to turn yellow and the onion shrinks and turns brown. We harvest it by grasping the onion by its tops and pulling it out of the ground.

• Carrots

For an early harvest we sow carrots in the bed in heavy, deep soil rich in calcium during March. In stony soil carrots become deformed and their root is forked and crooked. According to the length of the root we distinguish short, medium and long carrots. Medium and long varieties of carrot are intended for winter storage.

According to the shape of the root tip we distinguish pointed or blunt cultivars. As needed, hoe, weed and, where necessary, fertilise the carrot bed. Before the main harvest the carrot roots should not be exposed, because pests may attack them. We harvest carrots intended for storage in one go, the earlier the better.

In dry weather carrots can become food for pests, and in rainy weather their root may split. We harvest carrots by cleaning the root of coarse soil and cutting the tops at a height of about 10 cm. Then we place them in a box, layering them so that the head lies next to the tip. We separate the individual layers from each other with a layer of a mixture of peat and sand or dry soil. Finally we cover the pile with straw or hay.

• Parsnips

This is a root vegetable that strikingly resembles parsley. Parsnip is an ideal vegetable also for beginner gardeners, because it is easy to grow. We sow it in the bed as early as the beginning of April, in soil that was fertilised the year before.

Parsnip seeds germinate fairly slowly and emerge within a month. During the growing season the parsnip bed should be weeded regularly. The parsnip root has a sweetish taste and is prepared in a similar way to parsley, carrot or celeriac. The first autumn frosts destroy the above-ground part of the plant but do not harm the root. Gourmets say that parsnip touched by the first frosts tastes best. Any unused roots are left in the bed over winter, but in spring we lift them as early as possible so that they do not run to flower and the root does not turn woody.

• Lettuce

Fresh head lettuce is a source of large amounts of vitamins, carotene and other specifically active substances. It is grown mainly for spring consumption. It is advisable to pre-grow the lettuce seeds first in a cold frame, and we place the plants in the bed itself at the earliest at the end of March to the beginning of April at a spacing of 30x30 cm.

Lettuce is not demanding to grow, but it does not tolerate cold waterlogged soils, so we grow it in light sandy soil. It needs a lot of watering, so we must water it regularly. To improve the ability of the root system to take up water, it is advisable to enrich dry soil with good compost or peat. Head lettuce likes a sunny position and warm places sheltered from the wind. At harvest time the head of lettuce should be firm when gently squeezed. The most important quality of lettuce is freshness, so we cut it when it is at its best, that is, early in the morning or late in the evening. During the day lettuce is slightly wilted and less fresh (the tension in the cells drops).

The first flowers in your garden

Already during April it is time to think about preparing summer or autumn flower beds, as well as beds where we place the so-called annuals.

Annuals are one-year plants that we use for ornamental purposes in pots on the balcony, for planting in a rockery or in a flower bed. First of all, the site for the flower bed needs to be chosen. The annual plants themselves can be pre-grown from seeds in a cold frame during March. They are sown out in the garden in April - May, once the last frosts have definitively passed. We plant annuals 30 cm apart. Their growing season in our conditions is at most 10 months. They grow, flower and form seeds.

The first heralds of spring in the garden are usually the well-known snowdrops. Snowdrops are the first spring bulbs. They are small, delicate plants with bright white flowers. For their growth they need nutritious, light soil. Snowdrops flower as early as February, at higher altitudes during March, and sometimes they poke out of melting snow. They are heralds of spring; when they bloom, it is undeniable that winter is retreating and spring is coming.

The colours of the spring garden are completed by the typical yellow flowers of daffodils. Daffodils are among the undemanding bulbs that even a beginner gardener can grow. We plant the bulbs in autumn, from September until mid-October. Planting itself is simple: we place the bulb in a pre-prepared hole at a distance of 10 cm from the next, cover it and water it for better and faster rooting. We place them in a sunny position with at least half a day of intense sunshine. Daffodils produce white, yellowish-white or yellow flowers, depending on the variety. They are a suitable plant for small children, and by growing them children can also build a relationship with nature.

The trio of typical spring flowers is completed by tulips. Tulips are also bulbs. They are planted during the autumn months (September-October). Tulip plants like sunny places, because their home is the steppes and sunny mountain slopes. They do not tolerate damp clay soils, so we plant them in ordinary garden substrate. We plant tulip bulbs to a depth of about 10 cm and about 5 cm apart. Tulips flower with multicoloured blooms in colours from white through pink, orange and red, shades of blue, all the way to black.

A final tip

Spring is just around the corner. If you are an enthusiastic gardener, it is now the highest time to start work in the garden, if you want to secure enough vegetables and fruit of organic quality, not only for immediate consumption but also for winter storage. With the first warm rays of the sun, head out to the garden and begin your spring preparations. It will be a pleasant relaxation for you, as well as a refreshment after a long and demanding winter.

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