DOS AND DON’TS OF EARLY SPRING PLANTING
It’s understandable to want to add some quick annual flowers to your garden for a pop of early spring color this time of year. We’ve had some beautiful weather days in Indy this spring, so you might be thinking you can get away with planting a little bit early this year.
But planting early is pretty risky. There’s still a chance of frost overnight, and you don’t want to have any plants you purchase die on you a few days after planting them because the weather got too cold. If you are going to plant some annuals this early, try to plant them on the south side, near a building, so they’ll be protected from the worst of the weather.
Here are some gardening tips to help you know what and when you can plant in early spring and how to protect the things you plant on frosty nights.
HARDY ANNUALS YOU CAN PLANT IN EARLY SPRING
There are a surprising number of hardy annuals you can get in the garden already. These plants will take a light frost fine, although you should cover them overnight if you think it’s going to get cold.
Hardy annuals that you can plant up to four weeks before the last frost include:
Pansy
Viola
Snapdragon
Sweet alyssum
Calendula
Dusty miller
HALF-HARDY ANNUALS FOR SPRING
Half-hardy annuals are plants that you can plant quite early in spring before frosty nights are over for the season. While half-hardy annuals tend to like the cooler air and soil temps of spring, they are still sensitive to frost. So, if there is any risk of ice, or even if the temperature is supposed to be one to two degrees above freezing overnight, you should cover half-hardy annuals.
Half-hardy annuals that need to be covered can be planted up to two to three weeks before the last frost; they include:
Ageratum
Geranium
Dianthus
Lobelia
Petunia
Gazania
TENDER ANNUALS: WAIT TO PLANT THESE!
Tender annuals are plants that won’t take any frost, even if they’re nicely tucked in under covers for the night. You should wait to plant these until the last frost is over. Or, if you have any of these started as seedlings, you can start hardening them off 1-2 weeks before the last frost; just remember to bring them in every night until the frost is done for good.
Tender annuals include:
Begonia
Coleus
Vinca
Salvia
Zinnia
Impatiens
HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU SHOULD COVER SPRING ANNUALS
If you’re going to plant out hardy or half-hardy annuals, you’ll have to pay close attention to the weather forecast for the next few weeks. Frost is most likely to happen on clear, calm nights with low humidity, but check the weather predictions even if it’s cloudy, just in case.
It’s helpful to know what qualifies as a light, moderate, or severe frost when you’re deciding if you need to cover your plants:
Light frost = 29º-32º
Moderate frost = 25º-28º
Severe frost = 24º or colder
If the forecast is calling for temperatures between 29º-32º or light frost, you don’t need to cover hardy annuals, but you need to cover half-hardy annuals.
If the weather calls for a moderate frost or temperatures between 25º and 28º, you should cover half-hardy and hardy annuals.
If the weather calls for a severe frost, or temperatures lower than 24º, you’ll need to cover all annuals and use something heavier or use multiple layers of cover. If you’ve got annuals in containers, bring them inside overnight during a severe frost event.
HOW TO COVER PLANTS PROPERLY
There are many things you can use to cover your early spring annuals. You can use frost cloth, burlap sacks, drop cloths, sheets, blankets, newspaper, cardboard boxes, or buckets. Avoid plastic sheeting right against the plants since cold transfers very well through thin sheeting, but you can use it as an extra layer over top of other material.
If you know it’s going to freeze, make sure to water your plants well at mid-day. Try to get them covered at sunset to conserve the heat the soil soaked up during the day.
If you’re going to plant out hardy or half-hardy annuals, you’ll have to pay close attention to the weather forecast for the next few weeks.
Make sure your plants are covered completely. If you’re using buckets, make sure the rim is pushed into the soil a bit, so there are no gaps and set something heavy on top to keep it from blowing over in the wind. If you’re using fabric, the material should drape all the way down to the soil on all sides with no gaps to let jack frost in. You can use rocks, bricks, or even tent pegs to hold down the edges of the fabric if it’s going to be windy.
If you are worried that the material will crush the plants, you can use supports to hold the fabric up above the leaves. Using supports will also help to increase air space around your plants so leaves won’t be touching the cover material. Tomato cages and bamboo canes work well for most medium plants. A few chopsticks are great for supporting material around small plants.
Basically, anything you can set near the plant to keep the fabric from crushing the plant. Supports are critical if the weather calls for spring snow since it is likely to be very heavy and wet this time of year. Don’t remove the covers the next day until the temperature comes above freezing or the frost has thawed on the blankets. If we have a nasty cold spell where the temps stay below freezing all day, you can leave the covers on for several days without harm.
While it can be a bit risky to plant at this time of year, with the proper precautions and a little extra care, it's worth it when you see all that beautiful early spring color! We’ve got what you need at the garden center, from annuals to supports to materials for covering them overnight. Stop by today and see what’s in store.