How to be a hero to your garden
JACKSON, Tenn. — Tennessee is known for adverse weather and constant changes. One group is facing it in full force.
With warmer weather deciding to spring forward earlier than expected, it’s a good time to check on your gardens.
“The rain has been kind of continuous, just like last year. That’s going to keep the sun down, so that’ll keep things a little slower and budding out versus having a lot of sun days. So that can run in our benefit, but that also means it’s not as enjoyable to be out in our garden and work when it’s raining,” said James Wick, the Nursery Manager at Morris Nursery and Landscape Inc.
Besides the rain, colder temperatures could pose a threat to plants. Wick shared that if temperatures get under 24 degrees, it is probably time to cover up your plants with a cloth-made material, like a sheet, and try to avoid plastic.
“Last December’s flash freeze. I suspect about 90 percent of the stuff will recover, maybe with a little pruning. If you see a cold temperature coming into forecast, the plants that are naturally coming up now are adapted to a late freeze for the most part. So don’t panic. Just sit back, and enjoy your spring, enjoy the good, warm weather,” Wick said.
And beyond weather, be on the lookout for this enemy of your garden, as it is preparing to spring up also.
“It is time to get a pre-emergent herbicide down keep your weeds down. Again, we’re running about a month ahead of time. That means your weeds are running about a month ahead of time too. So it’s definitely time to get your pre-emergent down if you haven’t,” Wick said. “We use indicator plants that tell us when to put the pre-emergence down. The forsythia bush, some people call it yellow bell, the yellow flowering bush you see right now. That is the indicator plant that tells you to put down the pre-emergent.”
Wick also said it’s a good idea to wait until the last frost date of April 15 before planting any of your annual plants, like petunias.
You can stay up-to-date with the nursery on Facebook.
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