Start preparing for the gardening season by inspecting your garden tools — sharpen blades where needed and either remove rust or purchase new tools if needed.
Then you can prep the garden itself to get it ready.
Pruning fruit trees is best done during dormancy. It allows the tree to direct needed nutrients to the branches so they can bear high quality fruit. First, remove dead, diseased or damaged wood as well as any shoots that are growing straight up or straight down, as neither provides good fruit development.
Growth crisscrossing within the center of the tree should be removed as well. A more open tree allows greater light penetration and air circulation, improving fruit quality and reducing disease.
Spring applications of fungicides and/or insecticides should be made on peaches, apples and pears. Correct timing for spraying depends on the stage of development of flowers. See https://ipm.uga.edu/files/2022/10/Home-Edition_Home-Orchard.pdf for additional information.
Weed control is one of the most time-consuming, yet most important, practices in any garden or orchard. Young strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and tree fruits all suffer if weed growth is uncontrolled. Peach trees, of all the fruit trees, suffer the most from weed competition. Mulching will help control weeds as well as protect soil moisture.
When you plant a seed-potato (pieces of potato tuber), there is no true seed that may have been cross-pollinated. You can plant different varieties side-by-side in your garden and be confident that each will produce the type of potato expected.
Lay out your garden plan in advance. It takes at least two hours per week to care for a 20-foot by 50-foot garden, not including harvesting and planting.
Don’t plant asparagus crowns too deep. You will get a better yield when crowns are set at a depth of 5 to 6 inches. Contrary to the standard practices of deep planting and not harvesting for up to three seasons, recent studies show that harvesting shallow-planted asparagus after the first year boosts yields 40% over three years.
To extend the asparagus harvest, remove the mulch from only half the bed at first. The sunlight will encourage these plants to sprout more quickly. In two to three weeks, when shoots appear in the mulched half, carefully remove the remaining mulch.
If your garden is on a hillside, plant across the slope (not up and down) to help hold moisture in the soil and reduce erosion.
Spinach does not grow well during continually wet weather. If your soil is somewhat heavy, plant on low ridges to provide extra drainage.
Hardy vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and Brussels sprouts, can be transplanted two weeks prior to the average date of the last frost, which is roughly April 21 for our area.
Warm-season crops, such as tomato, eggplant, pepper and watermelon, should not be planted until all danger of frost is past or you risk having a freeze damage your plants beyond repair.
Greenhouse-grown plants, even hardy varieties, should be acclimated before transplanting to the garden in the early spring to minimize the chance of frost injury.
A plentiful supply of tomatoes can be had from just two or three plants per family member. Additional plants should be added if you plan to can sauce or whole.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact Brenda Jackson with Murray County Extension at (706) 695-3031 or bljack@uga.edu.