The snow has melted, the first rays of the sun are beginning to warm the ground, and all the gardeners are already at the dacha. Many will ask the question: What can you do in the garden at this time, since there may still be frost? Experienced gardeners will answer that the gardening season ends when severe frosts set in and begins as soon as the thermometer reaches plus. We will talk about mandatory spring work at the dacha below.
- Trampling snow around trees. In this way, you can damage the roots of trees. The snow will take longer to melt, the roots will not be able to feed themselves with nutrients, and the soil will take longer to warm up.
- It is better to scatter fertilizers, manure, peat, ash over the snow - this is best done in the fall, then the nutrients will fall into the fertile layer, and not go deeper with the water or evaporate.
- Beating snow and ice off the branches, this method will only damage them and may leave them without a harvest.
- Early planting of young, awakened seedlings.
Before moving on to any work in the garden, they draw up a checklist in which they consistently outline the work plan, taking into account weather conditions.
TOP 10 spring jobs
Cleaning up old leaves and branches
It is better to start your first work in the garden by cleaning up the remains in your garden plot. During the fall, a lot of foliage can fall, and the winds can blow up various branches and grass. Therefore, cleaning is carried out with a rake with fine teeth, which removes all plant debris, leaves and even possible pests hibernating in them. If the garden has not been dug up for the winter, then removing debris with a rake will make it possible to do additional loosening of the compacted soil after snow.
Sowing green manure and applying fertilizers
Every year, when planting different crops, the soil becomes poorer, so to fill it with nutrients, many use different types of fertilizing and sowing green manure.
In early spring, as soon as the snow melts and all the debris has been removed from the site, frost-resistant green manure is sown. The soil is dug up shallowly, harrowed, made soft and fluffy so that the film that forms after the snow melts disappears. It was also convenient to sow green manure. Harrowing will increase the air and water permeability of the soil.
Most often, gardeners choose green manure, which is sown in late autumn or early spring:
- rye;
- rape;
- mustard;
- oats;
- phacelia;
- buckwheat;
- legumes (peas, beans, vetch plant)
Green manure can be sown in regular rows or scattered randomly throughout the area. Green manure seedlings are mowed down before they bloom, when they reach 8-12 cm. Afterwards, they are evenly scattered around the site and the beds are dug up for sowing. Plant the first crops after mowing in 20-45 days, so that the green manure has time to rot.
Before digging up the garden, instead of green manure, other types of fertilizers are applied, namely: rotted manure, litter, peat, leaf or turf soil, compost, urea, saltpeter.
Pruning trees and bushes
Early flowering and early varieties of trees and shrubs are pruned first:
- apricot;
- plum;
- cherry;
- cherries;
- gooseberry;
- currant;
- pear;
- Apple tree;
- peach.
Ornamental perennials and conifers are also pruned.
Pruning of old, frozen, cracked trunks and shoots is carried out. In the spring you will need to carry out not only sanitary pruning, but also formative pruning. So gooseberry, currant, and yoshta bushes are pruned every 3-5 years. In pear and apple trees, first cut off large branches and shoots growing inward. Then, on annuals, the third part of the shoot above the bud is cut off, and fruit-bearing branches are formed.
Pruning is carried out before sap flow begins. Dates may vary in different regions. Weather that is stable to warming of at least +5 degrees should form.
Before pruning, prepare a garden varnish, which will need to be used to cover the cut areas, as well as sharpen the tool (saw, pruning shears) and treat it with a disinfectant. It is not worth pruning the same trees every year, otherwise this will lead to its weakening and death.
Spraying against pests
During the spring, experienced gardeners spray 3-4 times, this can significantly reduce the number of pests on the site.
Spraying is carried out starting in March, at above-zero temperatures during the daytime, so that the preparations dry on the branches and suddenly frost at night does not damage them. The difference between procedures should be at least 7 days and no more than 14.
- The first spraying, as soon as the snow melted, was with Karbofos, Aktelik, Bordeaux mixture, and copper sulfate.
- Second, when the kidneys are swollen - Nitrofen, Hom.
- Third, when the buds began to bloom and leaves were already forming - Aktara, Bazudin, Chlorophos.
- The fourth complete blooming of leaves and flowers - Inta-Vir, Bordeaux mixture, Fitoverm.
In the spring, not only the trees themselves are sprayed, but also the soil around them: many pests live in the soil. After spraying against a number of diseases and pests, gardeners spill the soil with various disinfectants: a solution of manganese, iodine, fluff, but only if frost is not expected.
This treatment will reduce the population of awakened pests and protect plants from damage and diseases: aphids, weevils, sawflies, whiteflies, cherry and iris flies, May beetles, bronze beetles, leaf rollers, spider and fruit mites.
Whitewashing trunks
In the middle zone and southern regions, whitewashing is carried out until the first days of March, in colder regions - until April. Before the procedure, first clean the bark of dirt and dried parts with a brush. The trunks are whitened with slaked lime, adding complex preparations against pests and diseases. The age of shrubs and trees is taken into account, so it is better to whiten young plants with smooth bark up to 3-5 years old with special paints, because the fluff will leave a burn. Spring whitewashing should be larger, as a backup for autumn.
What can you do to whiten it, besides fluff:
- Concord-East;
- Arbo-Flex;
- Gardener;
- paint Luck;
- Michurinka-2;
- Green Square.
Some new types of paints, especially acrylics, protect trees better and last longer. When whitening trees, avoid covering the cut areas; they are covered with garden varnish. They also do not cover the dormant buds, but paint them with whitewash around them using a thin brush.
Preparing a greenhouse and picking seedlings
Preparatory work in greenhouses begins at the end of February:
- Inspect the structure and containers for seedlings for damage, heating, and rot. If defects are found, they are eliminated, holes are closed, boards, oilcloth, and containers are replaced.
- The room is cleaned with disinfectants, glass and film are cleaned, the soil is spilled with manganese, bleach or fumigated with sulfur vapor.
- Partial soil replacement. The top layer of 5–8 cm is removed, and nutrient mixtures of peat, leaf soil, turf soil, black soil, peat, vermicompost, compost, rotted manure and litter are added on top.
- After that, the soil in the greenhouse is dug up and the boulders are finely crushed.
- The prepared soil is treated with boiling water to thaw the bottom layer of soil and kill the remaining pests.
After preparing the greenhouse, a few days later planting material is sown or seedlings that were grown indoors are picked. Picking is carried out for different crops. To do this, the tip of the root is cut off to stimulate the growth of laterals and form a strong stem. Seedlings are picked when the first 2-3 leaves appear. Before manipulation, the seedlings are watered so that the soil is soaked and it is easier to get the seedlings out of it. After picking for 7–10 days, the growth of seedlings stops: the root mass increases. After the growth of a large number of lateral roots, the plant begins to grow sharply, and the stem becomes stronger.
Sowing resistant crops in open ground
In the warm southern regions, sowing is carried out from February, in the middle zone, in the Moscow region - from March, in cold regions - from April to early May.
What to sow? Which crops will not freeze if there is a temperature difference? Such questions concern many novice gardeners.
They will respond most favorably to early sowing and well-moistened soil after snow:
- sorrel;
- nigella onion, sets;
- parsley;
- dill;
- garlic;
- celery;
- fennel;
- basil;
- radish;
- radish;
- carrot;
- peas;
- beans;
- parsnip;
- potato;
- spinach.
The optimal time for planting these crops is when the soil warms up to +5...7 degrees. At this time, it is better to monitor the weather forecast in order to have time to cover the soil with oilcloth overnight if there is any frost on the soil.
Grafting work
Work on grafting trees and shrubs is carried out from March to early June. Scion (cuttings) are prepared in the fall. The main condition is that the buds have not yet bloomed. Before grafting work, prepare garden pitch, electrical tape, oilcloth, sharp knives and pruning shears, treated with alcohol or other disinfectant, and decide on the grafting method. Stone fruit tree species are grafted from the beginning of March, especially early varieties. Pome-bearing species from April, starting with early varieties, and closer to June - late varieties.
Spring vaccination methods:
- budding;
- improved copulation;
- into the cleft;
- for the bark;
- in an oblique side cut;
- ablation.
Spring grafting will quickly show whether it was done correctly or not; often such plants are stronger and bear fruit in the second year.
Removing covers
With the onset of consistently warm temperatures, excluding night frosts and sudden changes, from April they begin to remove shelters from fruit bushes and various ornamental shrubs and flowers. After the shelter has been removed, the bushes are inspected for the presence of pests, diseases and damaged shoots.
Sanitary and formative pruning is carried out, after which they are sprayed with fungicide and insecticide. After treatment overnight, the bushes are again covered with burlap or film. Over the course of several days, remove the cover and cover it again at night. This way the plant is stimulated to awaken its buds. When they sprout, the shelter is completely removed, the soil around the bush is spilled with a phytocomplex against pests and fungi.
Renewing flower beds and lawns
In spring, special attention is paid to broken flower beds, especially if early varieties of flowers (primroses) were planted there.
- Last year's foliage is carefully removed from the flower beds. It is better to carry out this procedure manually so as not to catch the emerging shoots with a rake.
- Use a small rake to loosen the soil around the sprouts and mulch with compost or rotted manure.
- If roots or bulbs are exposed, sprinkle with soil and compact.
- Provide supports for climbing plants.
They also plant new flower beds or sow flower seeds. Open earthed irises, peonies, hydrangeas, roses, hostas, chrysanthemums, roses. You can sow hardy flowers from the end of March: nasturtium, calendula, marigolds, forget-me-nots, eschscholzia, poppy, cosmos.
There is always more work with the lawn in the spring; usually, after the snow melts, faded bald spots and yellowed spots form on it. Required:
- Make a drain for melt water.
- Level and roll the lawn. After the snow melts, bumps may appear in some places.
- Comb out dead parts and caked dried grass and leaves.
- Prick the lawn in different places to introduce additional air and nutrients.
- In this way, the lawn is aerated, which solves the problem of further damping off of pieces of lawn.
- Overseeding new lawn to fill bald spots.
After the lawn has been reanimated, it is watered with warm water with fertilizers or pest protection products.
When all the preparatory work has been completed, they move on to the main ones: planting and sowing other more heat-loving crops, ornamental plants, flowers, and also planting seedlings of shrubs and trees.
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With the onset of winter, gardeners and gardeners take a short break and take a break from working in the country. But with the onset of spring, they will have to work in the garden again. Let's find out in more detail what activities need to be carried out on the plots so that gardeners and gardeners are satisfied with the harvest.
Basic garden work in spring
With the onset of spring, the first work begins not in the garden, but in the garden. This is due to the fact that most activities are carried out before sap flow and the appearance of the first bud.
What needs to be done:
Caring for coniferous trees in spring
To prevent the bright spring sun from damaging the crowns of coniferous trees, they must be covered with an old blanket or burlap. The roots of coniferous trees need to be shed with warm water. y. This procedure will help the snow melt faster and protect the trees from dehydration.
If branches break or dry out during winter, they must be removed. It is also necessary not to forget about mulching. It can be made using pine bark or crushed cones. This procedure helps retain moisture longer and prevents weeds.
Spring care for currants, raspberries and gooseberries
Spring work in the garden
In order to get a good harvest from the beds, it is necessary to prepare the garden for planting in the spring. What should be done?
Spring lawn care
If you have a lawn, then you need to take care of it, starting in early spring. As soon as the snow on the lawn begins to melt, you need to scatter mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen over the entire area of the lawn.
When the soil dries out a little, you need to remove all leaves and debris from the lawn. After this, you need to loosen the lawn with a special rake-scarifier. This procedure will allow young shoots to grow.
To saturate the soil with oxygen, pierce it along the entire perimeter of the lawn using a fork.
If during all of the above work the surface of the lawn is damaged, these areas must be equalized in height, fill with sand and reseed with new lawn.
In May, the lawn needs to be mowed, but you should not trample on it too much, so that your footprints are not left behind.
Strawberry care
Everyone loves strawberries, both adults and children. But not everyone knows that getting a good harvest depends on proper care of strawberries in the spring. How to care for this berry in spring?
From the area where strawberries grow, it is necessary to remove all snow-retaining materials. Remove debris and old blackened leaves. Trim off old tendrils and inflorescences. It is better to burn all collected garbage to protect your berries from last year’s diseases and pests.
After this, apply nitrogen-containing fertilizer under each bush. To get a good harvest, strawberries need to be fed before flowering and after flowering. Culinary yeast, chicken manure, mullein, sodium sulfate, potassium, nitrophosphate, and weed tincture are suitable for this. But you also need to feed them correctly, otherwise excessive feeding can lead to the death of the strawberries.
New leaves that swell must be buried with soil. The soil around the strawberry bushes needs to be loosened.
Before the leaves begin to appear, each bush should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. And when it gets warm, the bushes need to be sprayed with a solution from calcium chloride and wood ash.
If some strawberry bushes are frozen, then new bushes can be planted in their place.
If you do not want your berries to be attacked by slugs, you should mulch with wood ash or pine needles.
Spring work at the dacha: planting new flowers
At the beginning of March, you can plant the following flowers: hyacinths, crocuses, snowdrops, aster petunias. But if you want these flowers to start pleasing you with their blooms earlier, you need to plant the seeds at home first in special boxes, and with the onset of heat, plant the seedlings in the ground.
Before planting the seeds, they must be soaked for several minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. After this procedure, the seeds must be dried and can be planted.
The land for planting must also be prepared. It is better if it consists of humus, sand and soil.
If you decide to plant bulbous plants, then before planting you need to soak them for thirty minutes in a potassium permanganate solution. This is necessary so that they are not exposed to various viruses and fungi.
When planting bulbous plants in the ground, you must ensure that the bulb is strictly directed downward. Landing should be carried out when the air temperature at night is above ten degrees. Otherwise your flowers will die.
The soil must drain water well. Sandy soil needs to be fertilized with compost, and if the soil does not drain water well, then a little crushed stone and sand should be poured into the bottom of each hole.
If you do it right, then your flowerbed will be the most beautiful in the country.
Now you know what spring work in the garden is and what you need to do to get a good harvest. Follow these rules and you will succeed. Happy harvest!
During the May holidays, gardeners will flock to their dachas. There is a lot to do and I want to do everything at once. AiF.ru turned to experienced agronomist-breeder Mikhail Vorobyov with a request to tell about the most common mistakes that summer residents make.
Don't stress yourself out
The founder of jogging, American Paul Bragg, said: “Don’t attack jogging the same way a bull attacks a closed gate.” I would like to advise gardeners and gardeners the same. You won’t be able to do everything at once, believe my many years of experience. The body is not trained after winter, so various injuries are possible, including a back injury. Therefore, if possible, work in a weightlifter's belt. This is a common wide belt that athletes use to maintain their health during training. And also, try not to constantly be in the letter “G” position - this is a huge load on the lumbar vertebrae.
Don't pass by
If you have beds that you haven’t seeded with anything yet, don’t pass by. Like, I’ll return to them in a week and plant something here on May 9th. Forget it. Now there is a strong heating of the soil ahead of schedule, and accordingly, quite strong evaporation of the precious snow moisture, which is still saturating our soil. Your task is to preserve this moisture. To do this, fill the bed with leaves or dry grass. If you don’t have anything like this at hand, use an agronomic technique called “spring moisture locking.” To do this, you need to use a rake to level the top layer and break up the lumps. This will stop the evaporation of moisture from the soil and temporarily destroy weeds. And until you decide what to plant in the empty garden bed, repeat this procedure.
Don't whitewash trees
If you did not have time to whiten the fruit trees at the end of February - beginning of March, there is no need to do this now.
Although hundreds of gardeners persistently do this useless work. Wait until late autumn.
Don't burn the grass
Most summer residents want to immediately put things in order and start burning dry grass. It is harmful. Firstly, the top layer of soil heats up greatly, and accordingly, all humic substances (organo-mineral substances responsible for soil fertility) decompose. At the same time, a huge number of insects are killed, the existence of which we do not even suspect. And they are part of the ecosystem, and if we destroy them, then something (through a domino effect) can happen. For example, due to the lack of usual food, birds will fly away.
Secondly, it is a fire hazard! The fire may spread to nearby buildings and forests. Use last year's grass for mulching or as organic fertilizer.
Hold the seedlings
If your seedlings were on the balcony, they had time to get used to the sun's rays. Such seedlings take root normally. But if she grew up in an apartment with a window, behind curtains and double-glazed windows, or in a greenhouse, she needs time to adapt to ultraviolet radiation.
When you bring such seedlings to your dacha, you need to keep them for the first day in the shade of a fence or house. Then we gradually increase the sunbathing and move the pots under the bush, into the openwork shade, then we plant them and, just in case, after breaking off the branches with leaves, we surround the seedlings with a fence. So that the shadow will remain for some time. With these simple procedures you will help the plant adapt and not get burned.
Bought, but not forgotten!
Let's say you bought a lot of seedlings with an open root system. The most common mistake is that, having purchased a batch of seedlings, they are loaded into the trunk or tied to the roof of the car and taken directly to the dacha in this form. Having reached our destination, we see a catastrophic situation. Instead of healthy seedlings, a person brings brushwood, since the wind has dried the root system to the ground.
It is important for us that the roots are constantly in a moist environment. How to create it? You can take wet sawdust, place it in a plastic bag and place the root system of the seedling there, tying the bag tightly. In this form it will last 2-4 days. At worst, wrap the roots with a damp cloth. When you find yourself in the country, place the roots in a bucket or barrel of water at least overnight. Let them soak before planting.
Do not take tulips and seedlings with leaves
Of course, when you see seedlings with leaves, it seems that this is good. The plant is growing. But from the point of view of nursery farming, seedlings with an open root system, with buds and leaves awakening, are a waste. The likelihood of their survival is very low. They dry out quickly.
In addition, now “kind” sellers who were unable to sell tulips, hyacinths and daffodils in time in the fall are actively selling them. With the wording that if you did not have time to plant them in the fall, now is the best time. No, not the best! They, of course, won’t die, but they definitely won’t bloom this year. Therefore, they cannot be considered as full-fledged bulbs; they can be regarded as “babies”, which cost two to three times less. Keep this in mind if you go to the market.
In March, echoes of the February snowstorms can still be heard, and caring summer residents have already rushed to their suburban areas to put them in order for the upcoming season. It would seem, what can you do in the garden in early spring, when the ground has not yet warmed up enough, and there is even snow in the ditches? In fact, spring work at the dacha includes an extensive range of activities for cleaning the area, caring for trees, and preparing the soil for planting.
First of all, it is necessary to remove from the garden and vegetable garden everything that served as protection from winter frosts. Covering material or special structures must be cleaned, washed, dried and stored in the utility room before the autumn cold. From beds, flower beds and garden areas, you should remove any debris remaining from the fall: windbreaks, old branches, fallen leaves, withered grass. Even if, by spring a little garbage accumulates again.
It is quite possible that with the first rays of the sun, the enemies of cultivated plants also hatched. While the roots are weak, the sprouts can be easily removed from moist soil. Moss begins to grow in warm places, and algae begins to grow in damp places. Short growth can be easily removed with a stiff brush, and a path made of natural stone or brick with the first pockets of young moss can be washed with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. Any activities with water should be carried out at above-zero temperatures, otherwise the country yard will turn into a skating rink.
Containers, flowerpots and flowerpots also need to be cleaned, their integrity restored if cracks appear, and treated with herbicides. Old soil should be removed from containers that served as wintering grounds for perennial flowers and replaced with fresh soil, and the tubers and rhizomes of plants should be thoroughly dried.
An overview of the range of gardening work that needs to be carried out in March will also be useful:
Early spring is a good time to repair polycarbonate greenhouses that may have been damaged by snow drifts in winter
Mulching and fertilizing the soil
Mulching is carried out in flower beds, vegetable gardens and gardens. creates comfortable conditions for plants, warming their roots in cold weather and protecting them from the scorching rays of the sun in hot weather. It perfectly retains moisture, eliminates the appearance of weeds, and protects against dangerous insects. Many cultivated plants (strawberries, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin) are less susceptible to rotting and increase yield on mulched soil. We should not forget about the decorative effect: mulched soil looks well-groomed and neat.
When biological fertilizer - manure - is added to mulch (for example, bark or sawdust), be sure to check the degree of its rotting. An incompletely oxidized substance can destroy plants.
Material for making mulch:
- sawdust;
- compost;
- bark;
- wood chips;
- straw;
- rotted leaves;
- covering fabric.
Fruit tree care
Simple gardening work to care for shrubs and trees rejuvenates them, increases yield and improves the appearance of plants.
Pruning branches and shoots
When the air temperature has surpassed 0°C and has become positive, but is still low, berry bushes should be produced. As a result of pruning, the crown of the tree should take on a cup-shaped shape with an open center, which provides ideal lighting for each branch and excellent air access. Thinning the crown and shortening the branches is appropriate at a time when there are no flowers, leaves or even swollen buds on the trees. Along with the shoots, the trunk is also shortened.
Planting fruit seedlings
With the first rays of the sun, immediately after the snow melts, young seedlings should be planted. Planting is carried out while the trees are in a state of rest, sleep, that is, they do not have buds, otherwise the seedlings will die without surviving even a couple of weeks.
Planting of young fruit trees occurs in the following order:
- A shallow hole is dug, manure is placed at the bottom and a thin layer of enriched soil is placed on top of it.
- The roots of the seedling are placed in the prepared hole, carefully dug in and the soil is lightly compacted with your feet.
- They drive a peg next to the seedling, which serves as a support for it for the first time.
- Water and make sure that the soil around the roots does not dry out.
Watch the video for more details:
Grafting to obtain new varieties
Spring is the most suitable time for tree grafting. With equal success, you can carry out budding (grafting with a bud) or copulation (grafting with a cutting). Cuttings are the most viable, since shoots from a grafted bud hardly survive the winter. The most successful time for cutting grafting is the period between mid-April and early June. The operation is performed with a grafting knife or. One of the main conditions for effectiveness is close contact between the rootstock and scion.
Spring grafting of fruit trees is an excellent opportunity to have many varieties in your summer cottage, while planting only a few main trees
Treatment of flower beds with perennials
Dividing herbaceous perennials will be more effective if done in early spring. Thanks to it, the resource of planting material increases and old plants that begin to lose color, weaken and rot are renewed. If you divide the rhizomes of bells, asters, phlox, and crocosmia in time, they will begin to grow more actively, and flowering will be longer and more vigorous. Large bushes are divided into four parts with an ordinary bayonet shovel, placing them on a board. The place of dissection is the spaces between the kidneys. The roots of small plants are separated with a garden knife.
After the renewal procedure, bright crocosmias take on a second life: they should be dug up every 2-3 years, the children should be separated and planted in another place
Spring lawn renewal
In order for the silky grass of the lawn to please the eye throughout the summer, from early spring it is necessary to carry out a whole range of measures, the main of which are:
- feeding;
- combing;
- aeration;
- weeding.
For uniform and dosed application of fertilizers to the lawn, there are many devices, one of which is a convenient cart on two wheels
If the lawn is small in size, then for the combing procedure you can use a regular garden rake, and for aeration - a pitchfork
Methods of planting vegetables
If the climate allows, many vegetables are planted directly in open ground. There are several landing methods, which depend on the location:
- in trenches;
- on raised ridges;
- on embankments;
- on flat ridges;
- into containers.
If the soil is light, sandy, warms up quickly, but does not retain moisture well, it is better to use the trench method. Clay soils also warm up easily and retain moisture well, which is why raised ridges are traditionally used for them. Several layers of manure, soil and compost, laid according to a special pattern, form bulk ridges, which are called a “smart garden”. Ordinary flat beds are used in greenhouses, and containers are used where there is not enough free space for planting.
Material on how to make beautiful beds in your garden will also be useful:
Raised beds are used for planting vegetables and flowers. Their distinctive feature is a border made of wooden boards or ceramic tiles
Pest Control
Unfortunately, with the onset of warm weather, harmful insects become more active, capable of nullifying all the efforts of hardworking summer residents. Many of them attack fruit trees and bushes. It is necessary to carefully examine all the branches and pay attention to the fastened dry leaves. Perhaps these are nests of lacewings or hawthorns. They must be collected by hand and burned.
Weevil beetles are destroyed on cold days, when they become numb and stop moving. A film is placed under the tree, then the branches are shaken. Fallen insects are burned. For moths and leaf rollers, use an infusion of mustard or wood ash. Honeysuckers are afraid of garlic and tobacco infusion.
To spray trees against pests, a solution of copper sulfate, urea, Bordeaux mixture, and iron sulfate is also used, and laundry soap helps against aphids
In addition to the listed types of spring work, there are many others, for example, planting flower crops, updating garden furniture, cleaning ponds.