Spring is the best time to prepare your lawn for the warmer months. Therefore, I have some spring gardening tips for those in the Texas Panhandle area that I got from Amarillo Botanical Gardens. Scalping or dethatching is the key to a beautiful lawn and garden. Scalping is the process of cutting the grass shorter to promote early growth and green up. It is safe to do this after the last freeze of the winter months. To dethatch your lawn, you’ll need a heavy rake or a de-thatcher. This will remove the under growth that is mashed down against the top of the soil.
Fertilizing and watering are also key to having a healthy green lawn. Some people water every day and that is not necessary. Consistent watering is most important. Even in the hottest part of the summer, every other day is fine. Also, shut off your sprinkler system if it rains. Double watering is not effective.
When deciding on a new flower or vegetable garden, it’s important to know what the size of your garden will be. The bed should be between two and four feet wide. More than four feet becomes a weed catcher and anything less doesn’t leave room for growth. During the planning phase, decide the location of the garden for best sunlight. Some plants do well in the direct sun while others don’t. Very few plants do well in both. Morning light and afternoon shade plants such as impatiens, geraniums and petunias, won’t do well in the hot afternoon sun. Cosmos and daisies flourish in morning shade and afternoon sunshine. Take into consideration what you will plant and where for best results.
If your garden is for vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and squash, you will be glad to know they all grow abundant in all day sun. Other plants such as lettuce, spinach and broccoli grow well with only a few hours of sunshine per day. You will want to separate your lawn from your garden area by using wood, metal, brick or plastic edgings. Use the edgers to protect the garden from the lawn mower to avoid accidentally mowing over your plants.
The most important aspect of gardening in the Texas Panhandle is preparing the soil. Most of Amarillo consists of a heavy clay soil. Therefore, you should start by removing the top two inches of whatever is there and replacing it with a few inches of good organic compost. Calcium sulfate and pelletized gypsum is recommended to keep the soil from binding together in future years. Your soil will need a good nitrogen source. You can use either an organic or synthetic nitrogen source to produce a healthier more balanced soil. After prepping your soil, you can plant right away or wait a few weeks or even months. Keep in mind that Amarillo’s soil is high in alkaline.
Planting bulbs and perennials or bushes that will come back year after year will provide a low maintenance garden. You can add annual plants for more color if you like. And, adding pots or water features to a garden can add extra spark. There are endless ways to make a yard look outstanding.
Comments (0)Subscribe to CommentsComment