Weekly Gardening Checklist
Fourth Week of February
There has been an absolute frenzy of activity out my office window today. Squirrels are chasing each other, tumbling around in the grass, frisky in our sudden warm weather. I am pretty sure this means it is mating season which means spring is actually coming! Now, here in Colorado March and April are our two SNOWIEST months, so you won't see me tumbling around in the grass quite yet, but for many of you, March means full steam ahead! I grew up in Dallas where the last frost date is the first week of March, and there are lots of you who are looking spring in the eye right about now.
With that in mind, here is your Weekly Gardening Checklist for the Fourth Week of February:
A sunflower for the people of Ukraine. We stand with you. Also: notice the holes taken from the petals — the work of native Leaf-Cutter Bees. Sunflowers are our Plant of the Week this week!
Wash Out Your Pots
On a nice warm spring day, this is a fun job – and it is a good one to give your children to do, if you have some around. Washing out your pots is important to prevent the spread of disease. And it's easy. Dump out any spent soil and dead plants.
If you have city composting, you can compost it all. But if there was any sign of disease in those plants, put them in the trash or burn them (if you are allowed).
Inspect your pots for cracks and breaks. Anything broken can be reused as crocks at the bottom of other pots. Then take a good hose and scrub down each pot. I use a high-pressure stream and a sponge to really get them clean. Then leave them to dry in the sun. For added protection, you can also spray the inside of each pot with a diluted bleach solution and allow that to dry.
Easy peasy! And a nice job on a sunny day!
Plan to Plant
For those of you in warmer climates, you may be thinking about putting plants in the ground already. But one of the most common questions I get is: when can I plant things in the ground?
There are a few factors at play, and the date varies depending on where you are in the country. But, if you pay attention to a few key pieces of information, you can get a much better idea about when you can plant out.
Average Last Frost Date
If you don't know what your Last Frost Date is, it's time to find out! There's LOTS of information about Last Frost Dates here, but here's the quick version: the average last frost date for your area is the AVERAGE time that you'll get below freezing at night in your location. Now, that's an average, so keep some frost cloth and other preparation materials on hand. You might still need them. But the likelihood of a killing frost is much less once your last frost date passes.
Soil Temperature
For most seedlings, you should wait until after your last frost date to plant them out. However, larger plants like those purchased at your local garden center, can generally handle a later spring cold snap as long as the soil temperature is warm enough when they are planted.
With a simple soil thermometer, you can monitor your soil temperatures. I generally wait until the soil is at least 55℉ to put in nursery-grown plants. And I look for soil temperatures of 55-65℉ to plant out most seedlings and starts.
There are a few ways you can warm up your soil a bit earlier, too.
Black Plastic Sheeting: Some people cover their soil with black plastic for a few weeks. Weigh the plastic down with stones or use landscaping staples to hold it in place. This will dry out the soil, and it's not practical if you have perennials planted in the same place as it will cook the perennials.
Season Extenders: I will put up my season extenders next week. They are simple to construct using tent poles and plastic sheeting. And they will warm the soil effectively. If your soil is frozen, you can put a string of incandescent Christmas lights on the soil to help warm it a little faster, too. More about Season Extenders here.
The soil in raised beds will be warmer than soil in the ground, and soil in shade will be cooler than soil in full sun, so be sure you are taking soil temperatures in the specific locations where you'll be planting.
And always have a few basic materials on hand to deal with late-season frosts and snows:
old sheets or towels
black plastic pots
plastic sheeting
If you end up using black plastic pots or sheeting, be sure to remove it promptly so your plants don't get overheated underneath.
Make a Seed Starting Calendar
If you are going to start parts of your garden from seed, a little pre-planning will help you get the timing right – which makes everything else easier. Sowing seeds too early or too late can impact how well they germinate, how quickly they grow, and the long-term success of those plants. But with a little planning, you can maximize your time and effort and get a better result.
Once you have your seed orders together, head over to this page on my website. I have a free seed starting spreadsheet for you to use! All of the instructions are right there, too!
If you fill in the most basic information on the spreadsheet, it will tell you the dates when you should plant your seeds and will help you plan out what to plant and when.
Then fill out your Garden Notes journal, and away you go! For more on starting seeds, check out my full Seed Starting Guide.
And that is your Weekly Gardening Checklist!
