There is no official answer as to why Memorial Day kicks off the gardening season. However, one could argue that there is some logic behind Memorial Day marking the start of the summer gardening season.
Memorial Day is at the end of May, marking the beginning of summer. Therefore, the consistency of warmer days begins. It’s much safer to start planting without the risk of frosting, not to mention, growing plants love the sun. Our backyards start to bloom in Spring, so it’s no surprise that you would want to start planting in your landscape as soon as possible.
You must be wondering how you can prepare for the upcoming summer gardening season. Some simple tips can help you get started.
Make a List
Planning is always the first step of every project. You must ensure you have all the essentials to start gardening before Memorial Day.
First of all, you need some gardening tools to make your job easier. You might get a discount on several items if you start shopping early.
Secondly, you need to find plants that suit your taste. What plants can you grow in your environment? Which flowers and bushes would suit your home the best? How much time do you have to take care of each plant? These questions will help you to narrow down your choices and settle on the final list of plants you need to buy before Memorial Day.
Prepare the Soil
Before planting the seeds, you need to prepare your garden. Property maintenance is crucial, you can only take care of your real estate if you take care of every project thoroughly.
You need to clean your landscape before the Memorial Day weekend. Preparing the soil doesn’t take a lot of time if you have a small backyard. You need to get rid of dirt and rocks and be sure that wild animals don’t inhabit your property. Your pets should be trained not to harm plants as well.
Ensure that the soil in your garden is healthy enough to grow plants.
Go Shopping
A gardener can’t plant anything without the seeds and necessary tools. You have made the list, now it’s time to follow through with the plan. Be prepared for large crowds and big queues, as Memorial Day is the beginning of the gardening season, there will be a lot of people in gardening shops.
Be sure to purchase healthy plants with the potential to grow perfectly. Check the stems and underneath the leaves. Avoid plants with holes and brown spots. Plants can hurt your health if they are not healthy themselves.
Make sure that the plants you choose are not infected with dangerous insects. If you purchase infected plants, you will put other, healthy plants at risk as well.
Be Cautious With Roots
When you bring the plants home, you will need to remove them from their containers. You need to be extra careful when you start removing your plants. Try your best to avoid breaking the stems.
Roots require gentle hands and gentle care. You must slowly replace them from the original containers with the soil you have prepared. If you accidentally harm the roots, you might stop the plant from growing.
The best way to relocate the plants is to slowly slide the plants out of the container and into the new soil. If the roots are tangled or balled up, slowly separate them and give them some space. You can also push or pinch the sides of the container to make it easier for the roots to slide.
When you are done with removing the plants from the original container, place them at the same level of depth as they were in the container.
Nurture the Seedlings
Although some plants are better off left alone, they still need care. Before you have planted the seeds, you still need to keep them moisturized and hydrated. Check up on the seedlings every few hours a day to give them the needed nutrients.
You need to water the plants well even before they are planted to be sure that they will go into the ground healthy. The top 4 or 6 inches must be moist. Keep the soil hydrated as well. Reduce the watering frequency over time. You should be watering plants that are rooted in heavy soil once a week and twice a week if they are rooted in rocky or sandy soils.
Final Thoughts
Frankly, Memorial Day is the beginning of the gardening season as it is the end of spring. If gardening is your hobby, you should be ready to prepare the soil and purchase the necessary gardening supplies as well as plants to start landscaping. Our homes are our most valued possessions, so we want to take care of them and make sure they look beautiful. Summer is the time to get competitive with the neighbors and show off your gardening skills. A beautiful backyard is easy on the eyes and it will make hot summer days more enjoyable. Nothing beats sitting under the sun surrounded by gorgeous flowers and enjoying homemade beverages.
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Plant Seedlings