Walking onions are a type of onion that grows tiny bulbs at the tip of the stalk. Their weight causes them to bow over. They sprout soon after the ground thaws.
Springtime in the garden often starts with big dreams and memories of the beauty and abundance from the past season. Here in Montana we get a break from gardening as our season is short and hopefully sweet.
Often our spring thoughts turn to questions like: Is the fence high enough to keep the deer out? Will cardboard really work to quench the quackgrass? Do I have enough row cover for that mid-season frost that nailed the garden last July?
Deer that aren't used to fence jumping can usually be kept out with a six-foot fence. However, experienced deer will merely wink at a six-foot fence on their way over. An eight-foot tall fence is more likely to deter them. There's a garden system called lasagna gardening that uses a thick mulch of cardboard, compost and soil to create a new planting bed over grass. Floating row cover is a lightweight cloth that allows up to 85% of sunlight through. It comes in various thicknesses. I've used up to four layers to protect early season plantings from hard frosts and kept plants alive down to 28 degrees.
So far the spring weather has been pleasant and our garden is drying out enough to make my fingers itching for soil. Early spring chores include pruning the raspberries. Cut off the canes that bore fruit last year. Berries will grow on the second year canes.
Check the shrubs to see if they have leaf buds on the branches. Branches that haven't developed buds by now may have suffered in the winter and died. By gently bending the branch you can see if it bends, a sign of dormant life, or snaps. Snapping is a sign the branch has not survived.
Over the years I have found that roses are the last shrub to show any sign of life. We grow two Rugosa rose bushes, which are supposed to be very hardy. Still the above ground plant dies back in about 50% of our winters. The plant grows back from the roots and still flowers.
Wandering through the garden I see perennials like poppies and yarrow sprouting. Red Orach is in the Amaranth family and is usually the first vegetable plant to sprout from reseeding by the massive seed heads. In addition, perennial green onions have already grown six inches.
In my ideal garden the plants would all reseed themselves. It leaves a bit of a problem with weeding, though. Last year I missed several pea pods and the seeds sprouted in late spring. Carefully transplanting them into a row provided both organization and peas.
Individual microclimates give each of us an individualized growing season. I have found that keeping records such as when plants sprout, how vegetable plants perform, how many layers of row cover protected the green beans on July 4 when the moon was full and the temperature plummeted, when harvests start, when shrubs leaf out and similar observations give me information for the next year's planning. In addition, records help me learn how the garden performs in our microclimate and what tricks work well.
The Montana State University Extension publishes MontGuides on many topics. There are over three dozen MontGuides on yard and garden information. They are available for free online at store.msuextension.org.
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