What to do in the garden in spring with this persistent cold? Here is how to further protect the garden and take advantage of this prolonged winter.
At the beginning of April, the temperature still resembles that of March: spring has started but the vegetation is a good month late, despite the forsythias which show small pink buds!
- The fruit trees ( apple , pear , …) and trees nuclei are not yet in bloom. This protects them from a possible late refreezing, which would risk destroying the fruit harvest (what we experienced in March 2012, the trees flowering very early).
- It is still possible to prune summer flowering shrubs (such as roses ) because nothing beats the “late” cut in March. They can start again on the axillary buds even if they have experienced small drops of jelly on the tips of the leaves.
- The marcescent foliage (arbor,…) has retained its leaves roasted by winter and should begin to lose them soon, a sign that spring is coming.
- It is not too late to extend the planting of trees or shrubs with bare roots ( blackcurrant , currants , etc.) if we take maximum precautions (they must not be already budding).
- The biennial plants ( thoughts , forget me not, daisies, carnations , …) do not fear the cold. They can be planted to decorate a balcony that is lacking in color, for example.
- As for the vegetable garden : nothing prevents you from planting cabbages , lettuce, leeks, or even radishes in the vegetable garden. You just need to protect them with a wintering veil .
- On the other hand, you have to wait for the weather to be better before putting the frost-free plants ( tomatoes, cucurbits , etc.) outside, even under shelter. They can still be grown in the heat, in a greenhouse , on a veranda , or even behind a bay window at home.
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