GARDENING RESOLUTIONS
by Adams County Master Gardeners

Some people might think that late February is a strange time to be making New Year's resolutions. Well, that may be so for resolutions in general, but not necessarily so for gardening resolutions. This is a great time to make some productive use of "indoor time" to assess last year's garden successes and failures and make some resolutions to have a better garden in the New Year.

The Master Gardeners of Adams County offer the following gardening resolutions.

Plan Ahead

One Master Gardener advises to order garden seeds early. Seed catalogs have already begun to come in and what better time than now to order. Seed selection is great this time of year, and you'll have your seeds on hand long before the busy planting season. She also suggests planting something new this year, like a colorful variety of Swiss chard or some tomatillos, the tiny green vegetables that go so well with many Mexican dishes. Be careful, however, to order just enough seed for this year's garden. The germination and vigor of seeds are never quite as good as they are the first year.

From another Master Gardener comes the suggestion to design a long-range landscape plan before planting. Instead of picking up whatever catches your eye or is on sale at the local garden shop, draw up a definite plan and stick with it. If you need help, consider signing up for The Landscape Design Series being held at the Adams County Extension Office. For more information, call 334-6271.

Also, take advantage of what the winter reveals about your outdoor spaces. Check for snow drifting patterns. Could areas of the yard and garden benefit from a windbreak? Are there overgrown trees and shrubs blocking out the winter sun? Could you improve your landscape with some well-placed architectural trees or colorful berry bushes?

Share with Others

If you grow perennials, keep in mind that these are wonderful plants to share with others. Often, gardeners find themselves with certain perennials that thrive so well in their gardens that they threaten to take over other plants. Thinning these out not only gives the other plants much appreciated space but provides the gardener with a great opportunity to share with friends and neighbors and talk about gardening.
Another Master Gardener cautions, however, to be careful with plants that you bring into your home and garden. When you're given or buy a plant - other than bare-root - be sure to check the soil around the plant and make sure there are no insect pests or evidence of weed growth. One Master Gardener has dead nettle in her garden now, and she's sure it came on a day lily that a good friend gave her. By the same token, carefully check over any plants you share with others and make sure they are free from any unwelcome pests.

Keep Things Tidy

A Master Gardener suggests resolving to keep up with the weeds. Get an early start in the spring and maintain a weeding routine throughout the growing season into the year-end cleanup. For example, schedule at least one day, or part of one day, a week to eradicate unwanted garden guests. Resolve, too, to use more elbow grease and fewer chemicals when eliminating weeds.
Yet another resolution is to keep garden tools clean. Knock the dirt off after using them and give the metal surfaces a light coating of oil. Always put tools back where they belong. Keep the yard clean, including stacking or throwing away those plastic pots plants come in.

Don't Over-mulch

One Master Gardener warns against over-mulching. If the mulch around the base of your tree looks like a brown volcano, please resolve to remove it. If you must mulch, use a layer no thicker than 3 or 4 inches, and don't pile it up against the trunk of the tree. Notice how trees in the woods grow, with their natural flare at the soil line clearly visible. Mulch volcanoes suffocate roots and create moist environments where diseases and rodents thrive. They also interfere with the movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide and cause poor plant health. And besides, they look just plain silly! This advice applies to shrubs as well.

And Finally - Learn More

Many Master Gardeners chimed in on this one. Take time to expand your knowledge of gardening by buying books or borrowing them from the library on garden design, new plants, or other topics of horticultural interest. Sign up for classes and workshops offered by local garden clubs and extension offices. Two good sites are the Adams County Extension site at adams.extension.psu.edu and the Penn State horticulture website at hortweb.cas.psu.edu/. Go on garden tours. Register to become a Master Gardener. Gardeners cannot get enough good information about gardening.

Penn State in Adams County is located at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325, phone 334-6271.
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.