I’m anxious to uproot mature hostas, but it looks like the ground will be wet for a while near a fence. Uprooting will allow me to replace the non-native plants, as well as run electrical conduit. With wet weather, what damage is done done to soil since there is always a caution about protecting soil, but I’m worried that the hostas will grow exponentially if I don’t act soon. Also, soil near the fence is well fed by nutrients from my more generous neighbour on the other side of the fence who keeps a vegetable garden, although I’ve mulched generously, and not gardened, leaving the 15 feet fallow. I could try smothering the hostas, but that would take another season, since these grow to 4 feet, so those roots will become harder to remove. In the bottom right corner is the downspout from the flat roof, which took me a while to have placed, and would also be a source of further growth, but I suppose I could redirect that water flow.
Dear gardener,
Thank you for starting our day with a little haiku of alliteration. So cute!
Let us start with the issue of digging into soil that is still water-logged and cold from winter. Not a good idea. You will do damage and compaction to the soil that could last quite a few seasons.
The University of Minnesota has a very good description of the impact of compacted soil on the soil structure that I am sure you will find interesting. Their article is from the perspective of agriculture and agricultural machinery, but our feet can have a similar effect on a small space such as you have close to your fence.
Purdue University has a good article on why you should resist walking on soil while it is wet. They write: “Working wet soil will pack soil particles tightly, leaving less room for water and air to penetrate. Compacted soil also makes it more difficult for plant roots and gardening equipment to move through the soil. The compression forms tight clumps of soil that become hard as rocks upon drying and are difficult to break up. In addition to making it difficult for plants to grow, compacted soils also tend to drain more slowly, in turn delaying the ability to work the soil after the next rainfall.”
The Toronto Master Gardeners’ Executive Coordinator, Pat Concessi, recently spoke with CityNews about why you should hold off on spring cleanup in your garden. This lovely video that explains all of the reasons why you should not be tidying up your garden too early, including damaging habitat for insects as well as compacting the soil, can be found on their home page.
My hosta have just began to emerge now (April 21st, 2024). They are about one inch high. I understand that the smaller the plant is, the easier it is to dig it out. If you really think that waiting a few weeks until the soil dries out will make them too big for you — and after reading all the links why you should wait — here is a potential solution Find a large sheet of wood to stand on while you dig out your hosta. This will distribute your weight. It is probably early enough in the season that the piece of wood will not squish your other emerging plants in that area. But try to be as careful as possible about replacing the soil in the same order as you removed it.
Once you have removed the hosta, build up that area of soil with lots of organic matter before you plant your new native perennials. The Toronto Master Gardeners (TMG) have a number of articles on building up and amending your soil.
There is also a TMG Gardening Guide on Soil Fertility that will give you very valuable information.
You may also find the TMG Gardening Guide on native plants for different habitats useful.
Finally, consider trying to change the direction of the downspout since you have clay soil. The runoff from the downspout will make this area very wet.
I hope you have a wonderful spring of gardening and poetry writing.