(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jennifer Fairfield, owner of The Garden Mill, for the information in this column. Part One ran yesterday.)
Vegetable plants
If you are starting your own vegetable plants from seed this year, start seeds for tomatoes and peppers now, and eggplant and basil at mid-month. Better Homes and Gardens offers tips to ensure seed-starting success on their website.
If the forecast for the next 10 days is to be believed, it looks like April is going to live up to the old saying about showers, which is a good thing. March was a pretty dry month around here. We normally see around an inch and a quarter of rain in March, but this year, we only got about half an inch.
Add some water
If the forecast doesn’t prove right, and since you are going to be checking the status of your hoses anyway, why not use them to give your bedding plants, especially any evergreens, a good drink (as long as the ground isn’t frozen). February was a pretty brutal month if you were an outdoor plant, and going into spring with below average water can add stress to already stressed plants.
Divide perennials
Toward the end of the month, divide summer-blooming perennials that you didn’t get to in the fall (you can divide spring-bloomers, but they may not bloom this spring).
Donate extras to the Chelsea Area Garden Club
If you have more plants than you have room for, give some away to friends and neighbors, or consider donating them to the Chelsea Area Garden Club for their annual spring plant sale. Proceeds from the sale go towards thing like civic beautification around Chelsea and grants to Chelsea area students. The plant sale will be held on May 9 this year.
Plant cold-hardy vegetables, flowers
If the temperatures we are getting now continue to hold, you could plant out some cold-hardy varieties such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, and peas. Pansies and primrose could also go out. At this time of year, it’s not a bad idea to keep row covers handy, just in case we get another really cold spell, or nighttime temps get into the twenties or below. While many of the above mentioned plants can take some cold, they are not going to do well at those lows.
Flower seeds that can be sown outside early include bachelor’s buttons, calendula, phlox, and sweet pea.
Plant dormant trees and shrubs once the soil can be worked.
For the Birds (and Hummingbirds)
Clean out birdhouses now, if you haven’t already. First check to make sure they aren’t already being occupied. If the nesting materials in the box look at all new and fresh, leave them – it’s an indication you already have tenants.
Check the condition of your hummingbird and oriole feeders – replace them if they are cracked. I used to wait until May 1 to put these feeders out, but I found out last year that I was waiting too long.
Many of these nectar lovers that are on their way farther north may be passing through this month and would benefit from having a food source during their journey.
So, I’ll be putting my feeders out in the next couple of weeks – I’ll just be bringing them in most nights, since I don’t want them cracking when the temps get below freezing at night.
If you feed hummingbirds, consider helping out a group that is working to learn more about these beauties in our region – Great Lakes Hummernet. You can help by letting them know when you first see hummers at your feeders. And if you see one that is unusual, they really want to hear about it.
Generally, we only get one type of hummingbird nesting in SE Michigan – the Ruby-throated. Sometimes other varieties will fly through, though. If you are lucky enough to spot one, they would love to hear about it. For more information on who they are and what they do, as well as how you can help, visit their website.
