The Seasons of Your Garden
Have you ever wondered why we have seasons?
Did you know that nature often knows what it is doing beyond what we think we know, and has a rhythm that cannot be forced prematurely or controlled?
There are 4 distinct seasons - depending on where you live - that flow from one to the next, creating the cycle of life in your garden.
I'm breaking down each season, what it stands for, and offering you some basic considerations on how you can work with them.
Spring
As the name implies, spring is the time your plants start "springing"... bursting forth new growth out of winter dormancy. Spring starts in March and runs through April and May.
Spring is an ideal time for amending, fertilizing, and of course planting. I recommend getting your soils set with the nourishment they need {depending on the plants, you will have different soil requirements} for the coming summer growing season where they require the most energy and hydration. It is ideal to do this in spring because you want to avoid stimulating growth when fruiting happens or right in the heat of the summer. This is especially important for smaller, more tender fruiting plants like berries to avoid blowing out your crop with too much energy concentration. You don't have to worry about this with compost and soil additions no matter what season it is, just the fertilizers.
Summer
Summer is HOT... your garden is in full swing during the summer season! All the sap and juices in your plants are brought to peak, in full circulation. Summer starts in June and runs through July and August.
This is the time of the year it is important to make sure your watering system is efficient and working properly to ensure your plants have adequate water. Lack of water and over-watering can affect the health of your plants negatively.
Also a great time to lay mulch because it is drier and you can often beat out and cut down the weeds - weed seeds. When you do things organically you are going to have weeding as part of your maintenance for the long haul, but mulching... along with keeping the soil healthy, will make it easier to weed {the richer the soil the easier the weeds come out} and keep the weeds down.
Fall
As the name implies, fall is when the leaves change color and start "falling" from the trees preparing them for dormancy. Fall is the winding down - slowing of growth from the peak of summer where nature starts storing energy for the coming winter. Fall starts with September and runs through October and November.
Fall is an ideal time for leaf cleanup and mulching. Also a good time to do amending, fertilizing, and planting but not as ideal as spring because you run more risk of losing new plantings to possible freezes in the winter where they have not had adequate time to get established.
Note: Fall and spring tend to be similar in temperature and precipitation, except spring is ramping up growth, and fall is winding down growth.
Winter
This is the season of hibernation. Growth has stopped and nature is in a slower, more dormant state. Winter starts with December and runs through January and February.
Winter is generally a good time for pruning, especially tree pruning. Pruning when your plants are sleeping makes it easier to see the current underlying structure because there are no leaves making this harder to see. Also, the sap or juices of your plants moves down into the roots and lower into the ecosystem of each particular plant during the cold winter season.
Remember this isn't dogma and that rules apply to the context for what you have to work with. This is going to be unique based on the ecology of your particular garden. Taking into consideration plant types, soil, insects/animals, drainage, sunlight, shade, wind, moisture, precipitation, etc.
Always do the best with what you got. As long as you are doing things with care and some basic common sense you don't have to do everything by the season. And it is a good idea to do your planting in the spring as opposed to fall to avoid possible winter freezing. Some things I mentioned hold higher significance than others depending on your garden and what you'd like to accomplish.
Straight Up & Free with James D is a reader supported publication.
If you found this valuable and educational, and appreciate the craftsmanship and care I bring in providing this content, please consider upgrading your subscription to support my work. You can also give a gift subscription, or make a one time donation.
Thank you!