spring garden clean-up tips

If you are itching to get out and do yardwork this week-end, go for it but don't go crazy!  It is still early days and we want to keep our plants well-insulated for quite a while longer.  This means don't be removing any winter mulch just yet, and definitely don't be walking around on muddy garden soil, which will destroy soil structure.  (Actually, some people recommend not even walking around on the lawn when it's soggy but if you know me, you know I don't care much about lawns!) 

If you haven't pruned your shrubs yet, that is certainly something you could get done this week-end.  Don't prune spring-blooming shrubs like lilacs (you'll cut the flower buds off!) and wait to prune shrub roses until late May or even early June as their tips usually die back and it's easier to see what wood is alive/dead once things are leafing out.  Here is a recent post of mine on pruning, with lots of links to extra resources.

If you're starting to cut back your perennials left standing for the winter, just remember not to tramp around on your garden soil.  This year, I am trying composting in place.  Which means I will be chopping up my leftover perennials into little bits and leaving them in place on the ground.  This makes free mulch!  It will look a little messy in early spring but the plants will soon grow to cover the old stuff.  As my garden gets bigger and bigger I have realized I need to use as many low-maintenance gardening techniques as possible.  Why tote all the dead material over to the compost bin, turn it over all summer (which I never get around to doing anyway) and then when it has sufficiently decomposed, dig it out and spread it back over the garden?  Life is too short.  (Besides, to be honest, I never got around to emptying my compost bins last fall so there is nowhere to put all the dead plant material this spring.)

Above: as I cut these clematis vines back, I am chopping them into small pieces so that they will provide a mulch and eventually compost in place.

Comments

[plantman]

Janice,

I used 32 gallon Rubbermaid "animal stopper" garbage cans. Any larger and they get too heavy. Wheels can be useful. You should place the can where you want it because you will not be able to move it once you put the material and water in. A sunny location is good, but actually I had great results with a partially-shaded location too.

I took a drill and put holes all over it about every 6 inches. Make sure you add some holes in the bottom and the lid.

Plop your stuff in. You should cut it up just like a regular pile. Layers can help, but I did two cans and with one I didn't bother layering at all and it didn't seem to make a difference. Add water from the rain barrel.

I use a compost aerating tool to stir it around so that everything gets wet (add water as needed).

Close lid. Stir every week, if needed. Add water as needed (you probably don't need much because it's mostly sealed). You will get compost in about 8 weeks or less once the weather is consistently warm (May here). The bottom will compost faster than the top.

Add "hot" items to speed up the process. Last season's planter soil, which is mostly peat moss, works fantastically. And paper of course.

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Excellent information, thanks for sharing!
Janice

[Paula H.]

@plantman- I might have to give your plan a try- sounds like a good way to have a moveable compost heap.
Janice- my bins were always in a bit of a sunny spot at this time of year, so I would lift them off the ground to expose the pile ( which I don't remember being frozen) then I could use my shovel to get out the good bits and break up what was left. I would add the spring clean up stuff then mix it with the partially broken down leftovers.. I would say that I could generally get about 2/3 of my bin emptied. I ran three bins-so lots of compost.

[Calgary Garden Coach]

Hmm. This is getting me thinking that it is high time I renovate my compost bins...! My compost is is in two boxes with walls that can't be removed so I have to actually climb in and dig down to stir and to get the compost out (not to mention lift it back up and over the walls into the wheelbarrow). It's a back-breaker - no wonder I don't stay on top of my compost-making. I've always meant to build something new but haven't got around to it yet. Maybe this is the year!
Janice