This document provides guidance for gardening in Davis County, Utah. It recommends books and websites for gardening resources and tips. It outlines a schedule for early spring tasks like pruning and soil preparation. It also discusses testing soil pH, enriching soil with organic material and fertilizer, planting schedules according to plant hardiness, extending the growing season, planting locations considering sun exposure, rotating plants, maintenance activities, and addressing problems with help from local extension experts.

1. Gardening 101Resources: Books: Sunset New Western Garden Book Trowel and Error, Over 700 Tips, Remedies and Shortcuts for the Gardener by Sharon LovejoySquare Foot Gardening by Mel BartholomewWebsites: www.jlgardencenter.com Check it out – there are many handouts and fact sheets of several garden topics. www.extension.usu.edu Very informative – Offers gardening tips for the current month and provides information on several garden topics.Early Spring: Prune trees, shrubs, summer/fall blooming perennials Clean out dead organic material Divide perennialsSoil Preparation: Remove sticks, stones, and clumps from soil Turn soil by digging or rotor-tilling. This aerates the soil, improves structure. Incorporate organic matter – compostTest Soil: Check out the USU website above. USU offers a soil testing service. The information you receive is well worth the effort and money if you want to be a successful gardener.Soil pH: pH scale Acid ------------------------------Neutral-----------------------------Alkaline 0714 Most plants prefer a pH of 7-8. There are a few exceptions. Learn about your plants needs and provide the best environment for them. Enrich the soil: Organic materialFertilizer labels have three numbers. Nitrogen – Phosphorous – PotassiumNitrogen is for top growth/greeningPhosphorous is for fruiting/floweringPotassium is for overall health, rooting/colorPlanting: Davis County, Utah is in USDA Zone 5, Western Garden/Sunset Zone 2 Our average last day of frost is May 10. First day of Frost is October 5th General Rule of thumb for Davis County: Plant after Mother’s Day or May 15th. For more information on freeze dates and Utah’s climate go to http://climate.usu.edu Consider the type of plant, cool season or warm season. Cool season plants can be planted earlier than May 15th. USU has given the following suggested planting dates for the Wasatch FrontSuggested Vegetable Planting Dates for the Wasatch Frontby Shawn Olsen, USU Extension AgentPlant GroupAverage Planting DatesPlants to considerGroup A:HardyPlant as soon as the soil dries out in the spring.March 15 – May 1Artichoke, Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Onions, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, TurnipGroup B:Semi-HardyPlant a week or two after “A” group or about two weeks before average last spring frost. March 20 – May 1Beet, Carrot, Cauliflower, Endive, Lettuce, Parsley, Parsnip, Potato, Salsify, Swiss ChardGroup C:TenderPlant on the average date of the last spring frost – about when first apples reach full bloomMay 5 – June 1Celery, Cucumber, Dry Ban, Snap Bean, Spinach, Summer Squash, Sweet CornGroup D:Very TenderPlant when the soil is warm, about two weeks after “C” groupMay 20 – June 10Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Lima Bean, Pepper, Pumpkin, Tomato, Watermelon, Winter Squash,Special Plants for Fall HarvestAverage planting datesBeetsJuly 1 – August 1CabbageMay 1 – July 15KaleJuly 1 – August 15LettuceJune 1 – August 1OnionAugust 1 – August 10RutabagaJune 15 – July 1SpinachJuly 1 – August 15TurnipJuly 1 – August 1Extend your growing season: Protect tomatoes with Walls of Water or other protectionUse small PVC pipe to create a dome tent (green house) over planting areaPlant a second crop later in the season for a fall harvest as indicated aboveBegin plant starts indoors before moving to the gardenYou can make your own plant starter pots with newspaper – they are biodegradable and plant and paper both can be put into the garden. See www.potmaker.com for instructions and tools. Where to Plant: Know your yard and how much sun and shade your plants will receiveExposure to sun - Full sun: 6-8 hours full sun Partial Sun: 4-6 hours full sun Partial Shade: 4-6 hours filtered sun Full Shade: Less than 4 hours full sun Deep shade: No sunMicroclimates: South side – most sun East side – am sun/ pm shade North side – mostly shade West side – pm direct sun/ am shadeRotation: Rotate plants from year to year to avoid soil depletion and bug infestation Consider plant group when rotating – all plants in one group pull the same nutrients from the soilHow to plant: Read seed packets for specific information Consider Square Foot Gardening instead of rows to conserve space (see Book listed above) Sets – Dig hole, add organic matter, break apart roots, plant, root starter Give water to newly planted itemsMaintenance: Mulch will prevent evaporation, control weeds and will look nice Soil pep makes a nice mulchWater: Know your plants needs – plants have different watering needs, look at the fact sheet from the web sites listed above. Many of us overwater -Types of irrigation: Drip, Sprinkler, Soaker hosesSchedule: Take time to write up a watering schedule – it will simplify your work laterWeeds: Pull weeds while soil is moist and when weeds are small Bring a digging tool, bag and scissors with you Dead Head: cut off dead blooms of flowers Pull weeds before they bloom to prevent weeds seeds from dropping into the soilProblems: USU Extension – Master Gardeners are available at the County Courthouse M-F from 9-12 to answer questions. Bring in a sample of your plant to show the problem. If they cannot answer the question, they will send it onto the Plant ClinicFall: Harvest and Winterize Consider covering your beds to protect from seed pods and other debris falling into your garden area