MISSOULA – Lots of us is Western Montana couldn’t even find our green thumbs for quite a while thanks to all the snow still piled up from this winter.
But it’s finally starting to feel like Spring and the nicer weather means that its time to start tending to your gardens.
MTN News talked with Caras Nursery owner Bill Caras about what you can do to help your plants grow through this season.
“April is very unpredictable,” Caras said. “On the north side of homes we still have a lot of snow and it’s still really wet, so you can’t be panting there. But you can be prepping the rest of the garden so you should be in great shape for whatever you have in mind for planting,” he added.
Evan as unpredictable as April can be in Montana, right now is the perfect time to start planting your gardens.
“It’s a great time to be planting the soil temperatures are warming up and we are in a situation where just about everything can be planted,” Caras told MTN News.
“Any root crops or leaf crops like this lettuce here or carrots — which you do by seed. You don’t plant, but any root crops or leaf crops, go ahead and plant them,” Caras explained. “Soil temperatures are coming up and it doesn’t hurt them to have some cold nights once they’re used to it.”
Late winter storms hit Western Montana pretty hard last month so how does that play into soil conditions for your garden?
“[You] can’t really have soil that’s too wet unless it doesn’t drain. But the good news is, with snow is, it actually protects the plants. So it was actually good for our situation very good for our situation in terms of protecting the plants for the winter,” Caras said.
He also advises being careful with what trees and bushes you are pruning. People should avoid cutting trees back — as well as pruning spring flowering trees or shrubs.
Caras added that if you cut off one of those buds or flowers now you won’t see it again until next spring.
