Over the garden fence: How to make this year’s garden your best ever

Ready, set, go! With Centre County’s average last frost date behind us, it’s full speed ahead for planting out those veggies, herbs and annuals now. Want to make this year’s garden your best ever? Here are a few essential steps that will set you on the path to success.

Hopefully you’ve already selected a site that gets 6-8 hours of sun each day. (Yes, most edibles and flowering plants really do need that much sun!) Plan your layout in advance, including strategies for irrigation and wildlife exclusion. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing your promising young garden mown down by critters overnight, so be proactive.

Most of us pay attention to the air temperature, and avoid planting out when it’s chilly. But have you checked your soil temperature? While many gardeners omit this important step, it’s probably the most important factor affecting seed germination and plant growth. Planting before the soil is warm enough can lead to delayed germination or rotting of seeds, root decay, poor growth, or disease. Soil temperature can easily be checked with an inexpensive soil thermometer, widely available at nurseries and hardware stores. Simply push the thermometer into the soil to a depth of about 4 inches. According to Extension, cool season crops such as broccoli, cabbage and root vegetables can germinate successfully at 40 degrees and up, while heat-loving favorites such as tomatoes, beans and peppers prefer a minimum of 55-60 degrees.

When shopping for transplants, be picky! Inspect them carefully, avoiding those that are wilted, yellowing, spindly, or have spots on the leaves. Also check that the plants aren’t “pot-bound,” with roots entirely filling the container and growing out the bottom. With your available space in mind, focus on the things you like best to eat, and choose varieties recommended for our area.

Another best practice is to “harden off” transplants with controlled outdoor exposure for a few hours each day, over a period of 7-10 days. Avoid full sunlight and strong wind; reduce frequency of watering, but don’t let them dry out entirely. This helps plants adapt from the controlled greenhouse environment to their new, more changeable outdoor conditions.

When the time is right for planting, be sure the soil is dry enough — working saturated soil will cause compaction and inhibit healthy growth. This can sometimes be a challenge in our wet spring weather, but it will pay dividends later. How wet is too wet? If you squeeze a handful of soil and it stays in a tight ball, it’s too wet for planting.

Once your garden is planted, make the practice of observation a regular part of your garden care routine. Pests, diseases and other challenges can be headed off more easily if they are caught early, and weeds are much easier to manage when they’re small. And remember, taking the time to visit with your plants daily is not only good for them — it’s good for your soul!

In the garden this month:

• Keep an eye on the weather forecast and be ready to cover tender plantings if a late frost threatens.
• Finish planting trees and shrubs by the end of the month and keep them watered if rain is scarce.
• Move houseplants outdoors to their “vacation homes.”
• Direct-sow warm-season herbs, flowers and vegetables (basil, sunflowers, beans, etc).
• Keep after those emerging weeds, and remove them before they set seed.
• Sharpen your mower blades; set mower height to 2 inches or above, and avoid mowing when wet.
• Prune spring-blooming shrubs after blooms have finished.