March Week 1

Organic Gardening Calendar
6 Weeks to frost free date in zone 6

By: Kathi

As always this time of the year get those seeds started! Otherwise, its time to start thinking about weeds, and spring cleaning.

Things you will need:
Pre-emergent
Spreader

In zone 6 the buttercups are blooming. We live out away from urban heat islands, so ours are just breaking open now, while in town the blooms are a full week ahead. The ground is no longer frozen and the days are warming up.

Now, before the weed seeds start to sprout is the best time to apply pre-emergents. The buds on the forsythias are plumping up, the signal that it is the time to apply the pre-emergents in your area. If you are going to err on your application dates, it is better to be early than late. Pre-emergents do not kill weeds that are already sprouted.

Apply at the rate indicated on the box. Then rake it in a bit to get it distributed through the top ½” of soil. This is where almost all seeds germinate. When you plant your annuals later after the frost free date, and you disturb the soil, mix a bit of pre-emergent in the top of the soil as you firm it back around your transplants. If you don’t do this, you will have stirred up buried seeds which will then sprout up around your newly planted specimens. I have always liked to mix the pre-emergent in with manure to spread around the newly planted slips. There’s less dirt with seeds in the top ½” this way, and you get weed prevention and fertilizer in one step.

To apply the pre-emergent I have found the easiest device is a hand held spreader that has an under arm brace. This brace is great if you have weak wrist or arms. The brace prevents the spreader from wanting to rotate or dip downward in your hand. Unfortunately, I have only seen these in right handed models.

Set the spreader to where it slings out a uniform field of pre-emergent granules a distance of about 4 feet. Then you can walk along the beds at a semi fast walk, churning out the pre-emergent. You will get very close to the recommended rate using this method. Don’t worry if you apply too much as long as you are using an organic variety, it won’t hurt anything.

Invariably, there will be chunks in the pre-emergent that clog the spreader. Just stick your hand in the pre-emergent, get those clumps and crush them between your fingers. The crumbs will then go through the spreader with none wasted.

There will be weeds to pull up but be careful not to pull up seedlings that do sprout from last years annuals. I pulled up thousands of Impatients before I figured out what the seedlings looked like. The best way to learn to recognize the volunteers is to purchase seeds, plant them indoors and pay close attention to their shape when they sprout. Volunteers will almost always be bigger and healthier by the middle of the summer than store bought transplants.

If you have a wild flower bed DO NOT use pre-emergents on it. I lost 90% of my wild phlox, polomonium, and geraniums by using pre-emergents.

Zinnias, on the other hand are such prolific germinators that you can put a light dusting of pre-emergents where last years plants were and you will get a bed of zinnias that you won’t have to thin.

Next week we will trim out the old to make room for the new.

Next week you will need:
Trimming and cutting devices
Bleach
Garden hoe