Planning, prepping, pruning: How to get a jumpstart on gardening season in Kamloops, Okanagan
Spring is around the corner and some gardening enthusiasts are already finding ways to prepare for the season, despite the current cold temperatures.
A certified horticulturist in Kamloops had her pruning shears out last week.
“A few days ago I pruned three fruit trees and a Saskatoon berry bush,” Danielle Greenstreet said.
From turning compost, to sharpening tools to sketching this year’s perfect garden layout, there are many things eager green thumbs can do to prepare for a successful new season.
“People can start by cleaning up and organizing sheds, tools and greenhouses if they haven’t done so already,” Greenstreet said. “You never know what critters may have moved in over the winter and made a mess. This is a great time to take stock of your tools and supplies. The tools should be sharpened for the season.”
READ MORE: How to tuck in your lawn and garden for the winter in Kamloops, Okanagan
While composting is a hard thing to do when the ground is frozen, intermittent warmer days can help gardeners get ahead.
“If you can, turn the compost to help it break down,” Greenstreet said. “Turn three inches of compost into the topsoil of the garden beds. If you plan to add new plants you can add bone meal to the soil. Remove any weeds to stop them from sprouting again when it gets warmer.”
Fruit trees can be pruned in the colder months, along with raspberry bushes and grasses.
“That is when they are dormant and the lack of foliage makes it easier to see what you are trimming,” Greenstreet said. “Remove dead, diseased or damaged branches. Do not prune spring flowering shrubs like forsythia and lilac, wait until they are done flowering before pruning them.”
Watering equipment can be checked for leaks or damage, and repaired or replaced as necessary.
“You can water midday when the temperatures are higher, so it can soak in before freezing overnight,” Greenstreet said. “Early spring, March to April, are when new roots are forming in the lawn."
Planning the layout of a garden can be one of the most fun things for gardeners to do.
“Some plants do well when placed with others or when their beds are rotated to balance nutrients in the soils,” she said. “I always encourage people to plant flowers in among their veggie gardens to attract helpful insects like pollinators.”
Many gardeners have already started sowing seeds indoors.
“Every plant has different requirements to start from seed,” Greenstreet said. “It really depends on what you are planting and where you live. There are many useful resources online."
READ MORE: When to start planting seeds indoors? Check your frost date
Greenstreet said she loves her job and she is always learning new things. She loves gardening because of the mental health benefits it provides.
“It is something you can look forward to, something you are creating,” she said. “It is very therapeutic, getting your hands in the soil, listening to the birds and knowing you are taking care of something. I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy all the benefits of gardening.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
