The first day of spring is just around the corner. All over America, garden lovers are coming out of their metaphorical hibernation and beginning to head back outside with that eternal optimism that this year’s garden will be an improvement over last year’s!

The Vernal Equinox, to give this day its official title, falls on March 20th, 2008, with day and night being of equal duration. There’s something about the first day of spring that lifts the spirits of everyone. But those of us who spend a lot of time outdoors for work or pleasure take particular delight in the official arrival of spring.

Even chores seem less chore-like. Just as preparing a meal is more enjoyable than doing the dishes afterwards, spring garden tasks are more fun than stowing away everything as the winter chill approaches.

Here are just a few items to put on your garden to-do list.

Clean up
Rain, frost and winter storms can cover your landscape with twigs, small tree limbs and other debris. During those cold weeks, you didn’t feel motivated to go out there and pick up all those bits and pieces, but now it’s time. Patrol your land with a lawn and leaf bag to collect the smaller bits and haul away the big pieces. Make this your first task because, in addition to cleaning up your space, you will discover any areas that might have become damaged over the winter and will require some TLC.

Weeding
Soft moist soil makes weeding much easier and this time of year usually provides those conditions. Look for weed seedlings that you can remove before they mature. It might be tempting to add these pulled weeds to your compost but resist the temptation. You’ll simply be creating a weed farm!

Compost
However, non-weed material can be added to compost. Many gardeners like to start a new compost pile alongside last year’s “mature” pile. You can add leaves, grass clippings, vegetable peelings and even straw and paper. As well as weeds, avoid adding any plant material that appears to be diseased.

Pruning
There’s a lot of fear and trepidation about pruning, particularly when it comes to when and how much to prune. Pruning at the wrong time might cause a shrub to not bloom that season, but is unlikely to be a death sentence. Among the plants that can be pruned in early spring while still dormant are: Flowering Dogwood, Bradford Pear, Wisteria, Red Bud, and Crape Myrtle.
If you are in doubt about pruning, I recommend a visit to this Web site http://gardening.about.com/od/treesshrubs/a/PruneTreeShrubs.htm for a comprehensive “how and when” guide. You can also go to gardening.about.com and simply search the phrase “When to prune.”

Ornamental grasses
If you left your ornamental grasses untrimmed over winter, now is the time to trim them back. Simply snipping away at them gives you quite a lot of clean-up. To prevent this, gather together the stems in bundles and wrap masking tape tightly around the mid-section. Lean the bundle to one side and use shears or a hedge trimmer to cut the grasses back to ground level. Take the bundles to your compost pile and snip off the masking tape.

Preparing new beds
The ideal time to dig a new bed is in the fall. The soil is usually drier and the warmth of late fall sunshine helps along any soil amendments you added, working through the winter, ready for you to plant in the spring
But it’s still possible to start a new bed in the spring. Avoid this task when the soil is wet and heavy. You’ll find it is far easier once the soil is drier.

As you can see, this is just a quick overview of early spring garden needs. I’m happy to respond to any specific questions that you wish to send me via e-mail. You can find literally hundreds of in-depth articles at my Web site. You might also wish to visit a site hosted by the National Gardening Association: http://garden.org/home where you can type in your zip code for a report for your geographical region.

Spring fever… catch it!
The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Wherever possible, I prefer to find organic solutions to garden problems. Several readers have asked me about using vinegar to eradicate weeds.

QUESTION: “I am looking for some info on organic weed killers. I have numerous recipes for organic weed killers with testimonials on how effective they are. They all call for high acidic vinegar or industrial vinegar. I have searched high and low and have not found where I can purchase this miracle of modern man! I have been in the gardening business for years and have had my own business for the past three years (organically based as much as my customers will allow) and find myself feeling grossly inadequate when it comes to this. If you could please let me in on your wonderful wealth of knowledge and pass on the golden key, it would mean the world to me.” – Laurie Orsini

ANSWER: There is quite a lot of research under way into the effectiveness of vinegar as a weed killer. I found a online article that you should definitely look at. You can read it at http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/VinegarKillsWeeds.html

The writer, Patricia Diaz, notes that regular household vinegar is a 5% acetic acid concentration. While this works on some weeds, a greater concentration is needed for other or more mature weeds. By distilling, a 15% concentration can be obtained, and a 30% concentration can be obtained by freeze evaporation. These concentrated acetic acids, if they are derived from plant sources and not from chemicals, are acceptable for agricultural use by the organic community.

The vinegars used in the field tests came from three sources: Knouse Foods, Biglersville, PA, Burns-Philip Food Inc, Baltimore, MD and Heinz USA, Pittsburgh, PA. Be cause the studies are still in their infancy, I don’t believe these companies are offering these highly concentrated vinegars to the public, but you might try contacting them.

Note that vinegar with acetic acid concentrations greater than 5% may be hazardous and should be handled with appropriate precautions.

You can learn more about the use of vinegar as a weed killer at this USDA site: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020515.htm

Aside from pulling all the weeds out, Cheryl and I have found the best solution is to use organic material to build the soil. If you keep soil healthy, weeds do not seem to do as well. Most of the time you see weeds growing where more desirable plants have a tough time. Again, this is because there is some kind of deficiency. Calcium deficiency is a common cause. Organic products such as Turf Tea Quality Grow, Prosper Soil Conditioner and Smart Coral Calcium can be effective in building healthy, robust soil.

QUESTION: “I have a question regarding a column of yours that was published in the newspaper on July 19, 2006. In the article you discuss the control of the Japanese beetle with the use of “milk spore.” Since then, I have asked several area nurserymen if they have this product. None of them had heard of it. Can you please give me more info regarding this?” – Carol Schick

ANSWER: Milk spore is safe around pets and children but kills grubs. It is considered a disease, but it only affects beetle larvae (grubs). Once built up, milk spore can remain dormant in the soil, only reactivating when new grubs appear. It is applied in powder form, using approximately 10 lbs per acre. Here is a useful link I found for you. http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_safety/article/0,,DIY_13930_3632735,00.html Look for the section on “healthier pest control.”

You should be able to buy Milk Spore powder at larger garden centers. It’s also available online. You can find suppliers by Googling “milk spore powder.” I hope you are successful in your battle against the grubs!

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org

Recently, I received an e-mailed letter from a lady who described herself as disabled. She wrote that she had always enjoyed tending her garden, but, due to her physical disability, she felt nervous about trying to work around her flowers and shrubs. She wondered if I had any ideas that would be useful to physically challenged people such as herself.

I shared the e-mail with my wife Cheryl who immediately recognized the importance of the subject. Cheryl went to work on some research, and what follows is largely based on the response that she sent to the lady and to others who are faced with similar challenges.

Here are some tips on how to make gardening easier for those with disabilities, whether they have arthritis, are in a wheelchair or are visually impaired. Maybe you or someone in your household has difficulty getting around in the garden, so let’s see what can be done to make it easier and more enjoyable.

Raised beds and planters
Gardening in raised beds and planters makes the plants much more accessible to reach. A raised bed about 2 to 3 feet wide should work for most people, but you can make it wider than that if you will be able to access it safely from both sides. An important consideration is the height of the bed and it should match the needs of the person gardening in it. For example, a person in a wheelchair would want the height anywhere from 18 to 24 inches tall, while someone with arthritis may want to garden standing and could use a height in the 3 to 4 foot range.

Containers
Instead of planting at ground level, use lots of pots or other containers such as window boxes at an appropriate height. To help reduce the weight, use Styrofoam peanuts in the bottom half of the containers and fill with soil. You can plant just about everything from seeds and perennials to small shrubs and small trees in containers. For ease in moving the pots, use wheeled caddies that are available at most hardware stores.

Hanging baskets
Gardeners who have difficulty reaching up or need to remain seated can still enjoy planting in hanging baskets. Simply locate the baskets at lower levels or place them on benches while you work on them at a convenient height.

Garden up!
Another way to avoid excessive stooping or kneeling is to use trellises and other types of plant supporters. Once climbing plants grab hold of the trellis, fence or pergola, they quickly climb to eye level and beyond, so they can be clipped and trimmed, or simply enjoyed, while standing or seated. A climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea Petiolaris) is easy to grow, care free and very long lived. American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) is another good choice with its yellow-orange fruit that attracts birds in the fall, or perhaps English Ivy.

Walkways and paths
Walkways should be a minimum of 3 feet wide. Ramps should be made of a non-slippery material and a handrail may be necessary. There are many possible surface materials for walkways. While packed soil is one of the cheapest, it will be muddy during wet weather. Sandstone pavers and brick are also good options but will be more costly. Remember, wood will work, but will be slippery when wet.

Sight and sound
For the visually impaired, choose plants that offer bright colors, variety of textures and lots of fragrance. A wide assortment of perennials and herbs works wonders for the senses. Group large areas of plants according to colors for more impact, as those with only partial visual problems will be able to locate them easier. Use sound effectively. Add into the garden chimes, wind mills, fountains, and birdhouses to create soothing sounds.

For further reading on how to remake a garden to be more accommodating for those with physical disabilities or limitations, check out these books at your local library, bookstore or online: “Accessible Gardening for People with Physical Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants” by Janeen R. Adil “Accessible Gardening: Tips & Techniques for Seniors & the Disabled” by Joann Woy

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and additional information, or to subscribe to Steve’s free e-mailed newsletter, visit www.landsteward.org