From Lisa Johnson, Dane County UW-Extension horticulture educator:
“Vegetables: Due to the cooler-than-normal long range weather predictions for this spring, I’m advising folks to start seeds a week or so later than normal. Generally, we start tomato and pepper seeds indoors around March 15. Tomato and pepper seeds need about 6-8 weeks after germination before they can go outside. The optimal seed-starting media temperature for germination of tomato and pepper seeds is 85 degrees, so if starting indoors in a cool area like a basement, a seed-flat heating mat that can be purchased at a garden center may increase germination success.
In Madison, we usually can start planting a few cold-tolerant crops outside by the middle of April but this is not always the case! Remember that even though May 15 is our “average” last spring frost date in Madison, that means that there is still a 50 percent chance of frost!
Flowering shrubs: Do major pruning on summer-flowering shrubs before they break dormancy. These plants bloom on wood they will produce during the coming season, so pruning them now won’t sacrifice any flowers and will allow you to see the structure of the plant before leaves obscure your view. Some of these shrubs are best pruned annually, others every other year. Some, such as Japanese spiraea, elderberries and potentillas, are best pruned by removing a third of the largest, oldest stems at the base and any dead stems or crossing branches, then shaping the remaining branches for size. Potentillas, spireas and shrub willows are also among the few that can sometimes be pruned fairly harshly using a method called rejuvenation pruning without significant damage. This type of pruning is not recommended on an annual basis. See the UW-Extension factsheet for more information on pruning deciduous shrubs http://hort.uwex.edu/articles/pruning-deciduous-shrubs.”
In this week’s outdoor project video, we check out the planning process for installing a new asphalt driveway with DRS Asphalt Paving in this segment from the Today’s Home Remodeler TV series. For more videos on home building, remodeling and maintenance, visit our website.
