Okay, gardeners, the holidays are over and you are still hungover (figuratively speaking), and quite frankly you haven’t used your gardening brain in quite some time. In fact, your gardening brain could be described as mashed potatoes! So let’s reconstitute those taters with a small quiz. Ready? Set. Go!
- When can I plant ‘cool season’ vegetables such as spinach or snow peas?
a. Not until Late April after the threat of artic cold fronts have passed.
b. Plant them in March but cover the new sprouts with a layer of mulch for protection from the cold.
c. In January or as soon as the soil can be worked. - Which fruit trees that can be grown in Wyoming are self-pollinating, that is they don’t need the pollen from another tree to produce fruit?
a. Pears, apples, plums
b. Chokecherries, peaches, cherry
c. None, they all need the pollen from another tree - ‘Power-raking’ my lawn should be done in early spring prior to green-up.
a. True
b. False
c. Anytime
Answer 1 is c.
‘Cool season’ veggies can be planted now with no extra protection or care. They can handle the frosty days that lie ahead and will germinate in March with no protection needed. It is inspiring to see your new veggies growing thru the spring snows and chances are likely you’ll be harvesting your spinach come April.
Answer 2 is b.
These trees will produce fruit without needing another tree’s pollen. What they do need are insect pollinators like bees to pass the pollen from flower to flower.
Answer 3 is b.
Although ‘power-raking’ is a common activity each spring, it is not needed and in fact can put your lawn in stress mode and increase your chances of weeds sprouting. The growing point of grasses is at soil level (that’s why we can mow). The mechanical tines of the power raker shreds the growing point needed for growth to occur, putting your lawn into stress mode right from the get go. And because those tines are scratching the soil, they are making the perfect bed for weed seeds to get germinated and grow. What does work is plug aeration. Aeration opens up the soil, allowing nutrients, water, and air to get to the roots, creating a healthy lawn ecosystem.
If you have a gardening question, are new to gardening and need advice, or planning a landscape makeover, let the professionals at the Wyoming Plant Company assist you! We offer free consultations and winter is the perfect time to get started!
Thanks for taking the quiz; your gardening brain thanks you!