ornamental
gardening guide
march
Plant trees and shrubs.
Prepare new areas for planting.
Divide and plant perennials.
Pull weeds before they flower and set seed.
Fertilize just about everything unless you did it
in February.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs as blossoms fade.
Protect new growth of bulbs and perennials
from slugs.
april
Time to start new lawns, consider replacing
lawns with xeriscaping.
Watch for local plant sales.
Plant perennials, gladiolus and hardy annuals.
Feed bulbs while they are green and growing.
Continue pruning spring-flowering shrubs.
Shear ivy and heather. Cut old leaves off sword
ferns.
Trim lavender and sage after new growth begins.
Check irrigation systems.
may
Plant dahlias and other tender bulbs.
Plant perennials, annuals and container plants.
Remove dead flowers from young rhodies.
Water rhododendrons and bulbs liberally.
Start aphid control — flush with water, spray
insecticidal soap.
Control slugs.
Weed and mulch between plants.
june
Begin regular feeding of container plants.
Prune rhododendrons and azaleas.
Control aphids with water and insecticidal soap.
Watch for cutworms and hand-pick!
Stake summer-blooming perennials.
Cut back those that have bloomed.
Continue mulching.
july
Watering lawns is not essential but it helps dis-
courage weeds.
Prune broad-leafed evergreens.
Watch for cutworms. Hand-pick or use BT.
Shorten new growth on espaliered apples and pears.
Deadhead early perennials.
Stake tall perennials before they flop.
Replenish mulches to hold moisture.
august
Water annuals liberally, in flower beds or pots.
Dead-head perennials, roses.
Remove diseased leaves from roses, rose beds.
Groom and feed container plants regularly.
Replant tired containers.
Order spring-flowering bulbs.
Remember to moisten compost piles.
planting
guide
SPRING
2012
asparagus
Cultivation: Plant 1- or 2-year-old crowns during March,
spacing them 12 inches apart in trenches 8 inches deep.
Hold off on harvesting spears during the first year for
stronger plants the following year.
Soil/Sun: Loose, rich, well-drained soil with a high pH. Full
sun to partial shade.
Suggested Varieties: Mary Washington, Jersey Giant,
Jersey Knight.
beans
Cultivation: Sow seeds May-July, 1 inch
deep, 3-4 inches apart, at the north end of
the garden if possible. Space rows 12-24
inches. Thin pole beans to 8 inches; thin
bush beans to 4-6 inches. Build trellis or pole
support for pole beans before planting to avoid
injuring roots. Do not soak or pre-sprout
seeds. Treating seeds with a non-chemical
legume inoculant will help plants add more
nitrogen to the soil.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained soil, pH 6.0-6.8, full
sun.
Suggested Varieties: Bush — Oregon Blue
Lake, Tendercrop, Venture. Pole — Cascade
Giant, Kentucky Wonder, Romano, Blue Lake
Pole. Shelling: Jackson Wonder Lima,
Montezuma Red, Cannellini.
beets
Cultivation: Sow seeds March-July 3/4 inch deep,
1 inch apart. Gradually thin to 5 inches by harvesting
baby beets. Maintain consistent watering during dry
weather.
Soil/Sun: Loose, well-drained soil, pH 6.5-7. Beets don’t
like acidic soil but will tolerate low fertility. Full sun to
partial shade.
Suggested Varieties: Globe: Early Wonder, Detroit
Dark Red. Cylindrical: Cyndor. Greens: Lutz Green Leaf,
broccoli
vegetable
planting guide
may
Cultivation: Plant transplants March-July,
spaced 12-20 inches apart. Don’t overuse
nitrogen fertilizer. Needs plentiful, consistent
watering.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5,
full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Small Miracle, Shogun,
Umpqua Dark Green.
After May 15 (frost free date for our area , accord-
ing to some souces. The Old Farmer's Almanac says
April 22) you can sow squash and beans and plant
out seedlings of tomato and pepper (protect from
40 degree nights! Cool temps can stunt plants).
Hold off on planting basil till June 1!
There’s still time to plant onion and shallot sets.
You can still sow peas and parsley through May.
Water garden if rainfall drops below an inch a week.
4-inch pots April 15 and plant out May 15, 18-24 inches
apart. Needs plentiful, consistent watering.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5, full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Prince Marvel, Rubine,
Vancouver.
june
cabbage
Continue sowing squash and beans.
Plant carrots (seed) and celery (transplants).
Plant basil and other annual herb starts.
Apply organic mulches while ground is moist.
july
Net blueberries if you want fruit!
Prepare soil freed up by early vegetable crops;
you can still sow lettuce, carrots, beans and chard.
Plant broccoli and Brussels sprouts for fall harvest.
august
partial shade (shade may slow down bolting
in summer crops).
Suggested Varieties: China Express.
carrots
Cultivation: Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep, 1/4 inch
apart, March-July 15. Thin to 2 inches. Do not use
fresh manure or nitrogen fertilizer or you will get
hairy roots. Keep soil moist during germination.
Soil/Sun: Carrots require rich, loose, deeply-
worked soil that is free of stones, pH 6.0-6.8
(slightly acidic soil is okay). Full sun to light shade.
Suggested Varieties: Royal Chantenay (esp. for
heavier soils), Scarlet Nantes, Nantes Bolero.
cauliflower
Cultivation: Plant 6-week-old transplants 24 inches
apart after April 15. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5, full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Early Dawn, Snowball, Fremont.
kale
Cultivation: Plant seeds or transplants May-July.
Seeds should be 1/4-1/2 inch deep, 1 inch apart. Final
spacing should be 12-18 inches. Drought-tolerant, but
flavor suffers without plenty of watering. Flavor
improves after a frost.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5. Full sun
to light shade.
Suggested Varieties: Tuscan, Redbor, Dwarf Siberian,
Winterbor, Winter Red.
kohlrabi
Cultivation: Plant seeds or transplants during April and
celery
Cultivation: Plant transplants 6-12 inches apart, April
15-June. Requires plenty of water.
Soil/Sun: Rich soil, pH 6.0-7.0. Prefers full sun; will toler-
ate poorly-drained soil.
Suggested Varieties: Ventura, Golden Self-Blanching.
corn
Cultivation: Sow seeds 1 inch deep, 4-6 inches apart,
April-June. Thin to 8-12 inches. Plant at least 4 rows of the
same variety in a block to ensure adequate pollination.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-6.8, with full
sun.
Suggested Varieties: Early Sunglo, Seneca Horizon,
Jubilee.
cucumbers
Cultivation: Sow seeds in June. Space seeds 2
inches apart in a row and thin to 12 inches, or
plant 5-6 seeds in mounds spaced 3-5 feet
apart and thin to 2 plants per mound. Grow
on a trellis to save space. Provide consistent,
plentiful moisture to prevent bitterness.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil with plenty of
nitrogen, neutral pH, full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Pickling: SMR 58. Slicing:
Marketmore.
brussels sprouts
eggplant
Cultivation: Sow seeds for transplants 1/4 inch deep in
Cultivation: Plant transplants 18-24 inches apart in
raised beds in June after nighttime temps remain above
45F (eggplants require warm days). Use a black plastic
mulch to warm the soil.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic soil, full sun
to partial shade.
Suggested Varieties: Dusky, Bambino.
Cultivation: Sow seeds for transplants 1/4 inch deep in
endive, ehicory, escarole
4-inch pots before April 15 and plant out May 15, 18-24
inches apart.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5, full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Derby Day, Ruby Ball, Early Jersey
Wakefield.
Cultivation: Sow the seeds of these cool-season
European greens 1/4 inch deep, 2 inches apart, April-
August. Thin to 8-12 inches. Keep well-watered and shaded
during warm weather to avoid bolting.
Soil/Sun: Well-worked seedbed. Full sun to partial shade.
Suggested Varieties: Arugula, Radicchio.
chinese cabbage
Don’t use supermarket cloves. Big cloves
produce big bulbs, so don’t plant the skinny,
small cloves — save them for cooking.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil
(raised bed ideal) with full sun. Tolerates
wide range of soil but prefers pH 6.2-6.8.
Suggested Varieties: Oregon Blue, Spanish Roja,
Purple Italian, Elephant.
Cultivation: Plant transplants after May 15, 12-18 inches.
garlic
Closer spacings produce smaller, more flavorful heads.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5, full sun to
Cultivation: Best planted in fall or February. Place cloves 2
inches deep, point up, 4-6 inches apart. Keep well-weeded.
early May. (Late May plantings will mature in hot weather,
producing dry, woody bulbs.) Seeds should be planted 1/2
inch deep, 1/4 inch apart. Final spacing should be 6-10
inches. Needs plenty of water; consistent moisture greatly
improves germination.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.0-7.5, full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Superschmelz, Kongo, Grand
Duke.
leeks
Cultivation: Sow seeds in March or plant transplants in
April. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep, 1 inch apart. Final spacing
should be 4-6 inches. Plant leeks in trenches 8 inches deep
and fill in soil as they grow to "blanch" the stems. Leeks
require consistent watering for good yields.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil. Full sun to partial shade.
Suggested Varieties: Giant Musselburg, King Richard.
lettuce
Cultivation: Plant seeds or transplants April-August. Sow
seeds 1/8 inch deep, 1 inch apart. Final spacing should be 12
inches for head lettuce, 6 inches for leaf lettuce.
Soil/Sun: Prefers loose, well-drained, cool soil, but will
tolerate a wide range. Sensitive to acidity; prefers pH 6.2-
6.8. Full sun to partial shade.
Suggested Varieties: Butterhead: Buttercrunch,
Continuity, Optima. Leaf: Red Sails, Fire Mountain,
Revolution. Crisphead, Summertime. Romaine: Cimarron,
Valmaine.
okra
Cultivation: Sow seeds or plant transplants mid-May to
mid-June. Soak seeds in warm water for 6-12 hours to
improve germination, then sow 1/4-1/2 inch deep, 1 inch
apart. Final spacing should be 12 inches.
Soil/Sun: Rich, well-drained soil. Full sun.
Suggested Varieties: Cajun Delight, Burgundy, Annie
Oakley.
onions
Cultivation: Plant seeds or transplants April-June. Sow
seeds 1/4 inch deep, 1/2 inch apart. Final spacing should be
4 inches for larger bulbs, 2 inches for smaller bulbs (and
higher yields). Onions require consistent, even watering
for good yields.
Soil/Sun: Well-drained, fertile soil, pH 6.2-6.8. Full
sun.
Sow lettuce, mustard greens, turnips and spinach.
16 MARCH 8, 2012 EUGENE WEEKLY
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