This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Preparing for the Growing Season

Peggy offers some guidelines for getting your tools ready and moving plants outdoors.

Before spring arrives every gardener should get their tools and houseplants ready for the season.

 Hand tools are the gardener's most permanent possessions, but only if they are cared for properly. Start by cleaning every metal surface. Soil left on a shovel blade from not properly cleaning last fall will be underlain by a patch of rust. Scrape and scrub soil and rust away using water if necessary. Sharpen the edge of the shovel with a mill file or bench grinder. File the blades of pruners, loppers and hedge shears with a whetstone. Once the surface has dried, coat the bare metal with a layer of spray lubricant, such as WD-40 to keep from rusting. Pump air into the wheelbarrow tires. Wash and dry your work gloves and sun hat. Now you are ready to work in the garden.

 The weather has been fluctuating daily this time of year from freezing rain and snow to 80+ degrees. We are anxious to move our house and tropical plants outside so they can enjoy the sunshine, fresh air and rain. Maybe they are taking up too much room in our homes and we’re anxious to do some spring cleaning. Be patient, tropical plants like it warm, so wait until the nights no longer dip below 45 degrees before putting them outside.

Find out what's happening in Wentzvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Then when you do move them it has to be gradual or the leaves will sunburn, just like we do the first few times we go out without sun block. First move them outside to a shaded site that also is protected from wind for a week. Next, move them to a spot that is still protected from wind and that receives two to three hours of filtered sunlight a day. For those plants that tolerate full sun, slowly build up the time that you have them in sunlight to condition the foliage to the change in environment. Keep them protected from wind as that can also damage the foliage.

 Ficus trees can benefit living outside in the summer but are extremely sensitive to change and will lose leaves after the move both to outside and then back inside in the fall. Aphids and scale can be hosed off when taken outside. Don’t blast them with water but use a medium setting on the hose nossle or you will be removing even more leaves.

Find out what's happening in Wentzvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This beautiful Ficus tree in the photo can’t be moved as it is permanently planted in the ground inside the atrium home of Margaret, a resident who was featured in a previous article.

 If you have a beautiful landscaped yard or have unique garden ornaments that you are proud of and would like to see featured on Patch.com, contact me at Bahrmasel@msn.com.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Wentzville