Last month, we mentioned that something you needed to do this fall is to get those soil tests submitted. If you haven’t done so in two to three years, then you really need to do this. Folks ask why they need to get a soil test. Well, the answer is that most Augusta area soils have a low pH and may be deficient in one or more of the essential plant nutrients (MAY being the operative word.)
Soils across the Augusta area are quite variable in composition, and thus their response to lime and fertilizer additions can be unpredictable. It’s obviously impossible to know what, if anything, you may need to add to your soil if you don’t already know what is there. A soil test will give you the information that you need to prepare your soil to support the specific plants that you will put in that location. Keep in mind that the physiological and nutritional needs of plants can vary widely, so it’s important to know what is being planted in a particular spot so that recommendations can be made that will best suit those plants.
For instance, fruiting vegetables, such as cantaloupes, watermelons and tomatoes have high requirements for potassium, as do fruit crops such as grapes, peaches and strawberries. But too much potassium can affect the uptake of micronutrients like manganese, zinc, iron, and magnesium. There is a place on the soil test bag for you to indicate what you want to grow. You can pick up soil testing bags at the extension offices in Augusta, Appling and Aiken. They would be happy to help explain the simple process to you.
It’s December already, and while most of our spare time is probably being directed at holiday activities, don’t forget the things that need to be done for your garden and landscape. Have you already planned out what you are going to be doing in the next few months? There’s nothing like sitting down with some paper and a pencil and writing down a plan to keep things on track. I was taught by long-time Richmond County Extension Agent Emeritus Clyde Lester that a gardener’s best friend was a notebook and a pencil. Eleven years later, he is still right.
Have you checked your seed supply? Do you have seeds left over from last year? Check their viability by placing some in damp paper towels and observing the germination percentage. Here’s a link to a full description of this simple test, https://hgic.clemson.edu/are-those-old-vegetable-seed-still-good/. If the percentage is low (less than 70%), order some new ones.
Those dozens of colorful seed catalogs that are clogging your mailbox are offering so many opportunities. But don’t get carried away. All those beautiful plants that you are seeing for the first time come with a caveat. Will they actually grow in your zone? The CSRA sits right in the middle of zone 8A. If you’re not familiar with plant zones, this link will help you better understand why they are so important to gardeners. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone
By now, many perennial plants will be going dormant, and this is a great time to start thinking about which ones will need pruning. But be careful, because not all of them are candidates for winter pruning. Azaleas and some hydrangeas, among many others, flower on stems that developed this last summer.
If you prune those off, you are going to lose the flowers you are expecting this spring. Be sure to check before you start cutting. Plants that flower on “old wood” should typically be pruned immediately after they finish flowering. This is usually in the late spring or early summer. Pruning is a fun, but complicated topic which this link explains quite well. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B949&title=basic-principles-of-pruning-woody-plants
I’ll close by reminding you that even though it may be cold and a bit dreary outside, your garden or landscape still needs you. Don’t forget to keep feeding your compost pile with those kitchen scraps, dead limbs and fallen leaves. And one last thing; a hint or two to your spouse about a garden tool that you want, might be in order.
