ARE YOUR FINGERS ITCHING? 

I don’t know about you, but around the first week of February something happens to my hands.  They start curling into this claw shape and I get this uncontrollable urge to go dig in the dirt.  It happens every year about this time as the days start to get just a little bit longer and the temperatures a little bit warmer (although we haven’t seen much of the warmer stuff yet).  I call this my premature spring fever syndrome.  Perhaps you have experienced it too.

Obviously, for the Northwest, it will be many more weeks before we can say it is spring.  But if you lived in California for example spring would be just around the corner and this digging sensation would be right on cue.  The fact that I was born and raised in California would explain why this urge surfaces in me this time of year but for all those native north westerners it might be a puzzle.  I’m inclined to think however that no matter where we live, by the time we reach February our biological clocks are telling us it’s time to get out in the garden again and reconnect with the earth. 

So the next obvious question would be, “How do I channel this urge?” Or to put it another way “What can I do in the garden this time of year when it is still so cold and wet?”  Here are some suggestions to appease those itchy fingers.

If you never got around to cleaning up your beds last fall then now is the time to do it.  Rake up the old leaves, cut back the perennials and ornamental grasses and be careful not to damage any of those emerging spring bulbs like daffodils and crocus.  Removing all this debris will let more light and heat reach the soil surface and help prime the pump for new spring growth.  While you have everything all clean and tidy it would be the perfect time to spread some lime over the soil surface and a slow acting organic fertilizer.  Both of these products take time to break down and become available to the plants so this early application makes good sense.  You can then follow up with a one inch layer of screened compost and you’ll be good to go for the season.

Perhaps you enjoy growing vegetables and your veggie plots or raised beds are covered with chickweed and shot weed.  Now would be an excellent time to remove these thugs before they rob the soil of all the nutrients.  Again, I would recommend spreading lime/ fertilizer and compost and turning the soil over to mix all these ingredients together.  One further step that I think is useful is to build a temporary greenhouse or cloche as they are called over your beds to keep the rain off and trap some sunshine when it actually shines.  This will allow you to start your veggies 3-4 weeks earlier than anyone else and considering our cool, short summers that can be a huge advantage.

I suspect with all the rain we have had this winter that most lawns are looking rather stressed.  Thin, yellow and full of moss are the adjectives that come to mind.  This might sound like a broken record, but just like the flower and veggies beds above, lawns will benefit from applications of lime and organic fertilizers this time of year.  Later this month when we really get some balmy days you can nuke the moss and start making room for the grasses to recover.  Late March and early April are the best months to reseed so you still have plenty of time to do that little chore.

Believe it or not, this is a very good time to plant new shrubs and trees or transplant existing ones.  Nurseries are stocked to the gunnels now with bare root and balled and burlap trees and shrubs, berry plants, asparagus, grapes, rhubarb, currants and gooseberries to name a few.  And for an extra incentive you will find most of these plants on sale for 30% off or more. 

A little preventative maintenance this time of year can go a long way to having clean and healthy trees this summer.  Dormant spraying fruit trees, roses, lilacs and almost any deciduous plant will help prevent diseases like mildew, rust, scab and blights and minimize infestations of aphids and mites.  Check with your local nursery for more information on dormant spraying.

So this should give you some direction on how to spend your time in the garden in this early part of the season when your fingers start itching and you are not sure what to do.  Get out your Gortex and Muck Shoes and get some gardening therapy while it is still quiet and peaceful.  The cacophony of spring is just around the corner.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, a retail garden center that is celebrating its 60^th year in business.  Send your gardening questions to Steve at 425-334-2002 or go to the website at www.sunnysidenursery.net