Tips for successful gardening!

Spring Tips

• Start Cold Crops Inside
  If you haven’t done so already, early March is a good time to start seeds of cold crops such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower indoors under lights. By April, you’ll have plants that are ready to be transplanted outside a few weeks before the last frost date.
  

• Get a Head Start on Herbs
  Begin planning your herb garden and start seeds of basil, parsley, sage and thyme indoors. Start your herbs in flats filled with moistened seed-starting mix. After germination, place the plants under grow lights or by a sunny window and be sure to keep the soil moist.

• Remember to Rotate
  When planning your spring and summer vegetable garden, remember to avoid planting crops in the same family in the same spot more than once every three years. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are in the same family; so are squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins. Many pests and diseases overwinter in the soil, so moving plants around can disrupt their life cycles and minimize the need for pest and disease controls.
  

• Prune Trees and Shrubs
  March is an ideal time to prune most trees and shrubs. Spring-flowering shrubs, such as forsythia, lilacs, and azaleas, should be pruned immediately after flowering, but you can remove dead or damaged branches any time.
  

• Force Branches
  Cut branches of early-flowering shrubs such as forsythia, quince, and pussy willow to force into early bloom. After cutting, bring the branches indoors and place them in a vase of water. After a few weeks, they should bloom. Once pussy willows reach their peak, remove them from the water and allow them to dry; they’ll continue to look great in dried arrangements.
  

• Plant Begonias
  Get an early start on planting begonia tubers in containers this March. Plant them hollow-side-up in well-drained potting soil. Set them in a warm (70 degrees F) location and keep the soil moist but not too soggy. After you see growth in about 3 or 4 weeks, move the containers to spot with bright, indirect light. Once all danger of frost has passed, you can transplant the begonias outdoors.
  

• Early Sow Flowers
  Although April is the month to sow seeds of many flowers, some take longer to mature and so should be sown this month. Flowers you may sow early in March include dusty miller, geranium, heliotrope, impatiens, osteospermum, petunia, mealycup sage, torenia, verbena, and annual vinca.  Flowers you may sow the middle to end of March include ageratum, coleus, dianthus, ornamental millet, African marigold, ornamental pepper, annual phlox, rudbeckia, scarlet sage, and thunbergia.

  
  

Spring is the perfect time for Container Gardening! Check out this great soil to use for your containers:

• http://www.coastofmaine.com/soils-barharbor.shtml

At Wentworth Greenhouses you can count on our knowledgeable staff for solutions to your gardening questions. We thought it might be helpful to pass along some ideas on common challenges faced in the garden:

Mum Care Sheet

Overwintering Tender Plants

Storing Bulbs

Peony Problems: Peonies are one of the most popular perennials, and are easy to grow in the right conditions. Download our helpful care sheet on Peonies. >

Hydrangea Tips: Most species of Hydrangea require similar care.  They perform best in moist, well drained soil rich in organic matter.  They prefer full sun to part shade and need moderate amounts of water.  Download our tip sheet on Hydrangea. >

Deer! - How to browse-proof your gardens: Wildlife in your backyard is something we all strive for, but when deer start to graze on your prized specimens, you reach your limit! What to do? Download our tip sheet on deer proofing your garden. >

Compost Fundamentals: Composting is a dynamic process that can occur quickly (active) or slowly (passive) and is made by billions of microbes (bacteria and fungi), worms, insects, and other soil inhabitants. Learn more about it. Download a tip sheet. >

Attracting Butterflies to your Garden: We've put together a listing of perennials and shrubs designed to attract Butterflies to your yard. Download it here. >

Growing Tips on Blueberries: Everyone's favorite! Learn how you can create your own berry patch (or planter) in your own backyard. Download the tips here. >

Square Foot Gardening: The original and still the best. Learn how you can grow your own veggies, herbs and fruits. Click here for more instructions.>