Reader Tips for Simplifying Early Spring Chores

Here’s the scoop on top-dressing

I favor to top - dress my blossom bed while my perennial are napping safely underground , but I often find myself doing this while the plant are up . That chore is made much easier with a 58 - ounce cast - aluminum scoop . It ’s small enough to maneuver among plant but hold enoughcompost , mulch , or — as picture here — composted Grant Wood chips to deal tangible estate quickly . Lastly , it leaves a bridge player detached to contain plant by while I ’m applying the product .

— Jim McCaulley , Ringoes , New Jersey

Sunflower trellis for tomatillos

When it came time to set up reenforcement for the outrageous growth of tomatillos in my greenhouse , I realized that those volunteer sunflowers I did n’t have the core to pluck had grown heavyset , stout stems . I wove quarter - inch forget me drug between them and — voilà!—instant supports . I ’ll strategically take advantage of that incentive next year , but I ’ll be sure to choose varieties that do n’t threaten my nursery ’s 10 - ft ceiling .

— Jenny Noble , Horsefly , British Columbia

Winning Tip: Storing terra-cotta pots for winter

There is circumscribed space in my garage for storingterra - cotta pots . I ’ve had the unfortunate experience of stacking them in the free fall and then have to break one to get them apart in the spring . Now I take old house of cards - wrap envelopes and localise them between pots as cushioning . The kitty are easy to separate , and this gives that bubble enwrap a second life .

— Lori Walsh , Rockford , Illinois

Protect plants from an early spring freeze

We are always activated when spring fare around and sleeping plants such aspeoniesand lilies jump from the ground . Then it come about — wintertime has the last laugh in the form of a below - freeze cold snap . Toprotect plantsalready sprouted , I reverse a shaping container of the appropriate sizing over the tender foliage and weigh it down with a rock-and-roll so that hint or critters ca n’t fire the container . The pots are well take out the next morning when the risk of freezing has passed .

— Katherine Coker , McDonough , Georgia

Chicken-wire deer defense

Thedeer start browsing my perennialsin the free fall , and it gets worse as the winter progresses . My garden is too large to fence in , so I protect the most - abused plant with basket of poulet conducting wire . I utilise a 1 - metrical unit - panoptic roster of wire and abbreviate hoops of unlike size to fit the plants . I ground the ends of the basketball game with 4 - column inch staple fiber that prevent the hoops from being pushed out of piazza by passing animals . I remove the basketball hoop in the spring when plant growth is strong and the deer have other things to eat .

— Barbara Burkhart , Apex , North Carolina

A better grip on your rake

Having an soft hairgrip on agarden rakemakes glance over much easier . When your garden gloves do n’t supply enough grip , wind the handle of the rakehell with the grip taping used on tennis racket or a similar kinesiology tape . It makes a huge difference .

— Peg McCann , St. Joseph , Michigan

Photos : courtesy of the contributors

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