Spring Soil is Waking Up 🕰️
The thunder and rain of spring is truly in full swing here in Atlanta…
Flower buds are swelling, crisp spring air is settling, and early blooms are showing. And if you’ve got the feeling that spring warmth is feeling a bit earlier than usual, then you wouldn’t be wrong.
Last year’s early March was certainly still pants and sweater weather and right now we are hovering around ~12 degrees higher than the 10-year average on soil temperatures (see below). Plants aren’t concerned with our calendar… They are waiting idly for particular soil temperatures that will break dormancy. When we cross the 60-65-ish degree threshold, it creates optimal conditions for a few things:
- Root expansion: when soil temperatures get consistently warmer, plants start to expend a bit more energy into expanding their roots. This is before they’re deep in the midst of energy being spent on woody/foliage growth and flowering.
- Soil microbes get active: the good fungi and bacteria in the soil that make it rich rapidly start to re-activate and multiply when soil temperatures warm up.
- Seeds germinate: this isn’t a hard and fast rule because ideal germination conditions vary from species to species. But at around 65 degrees, germination becomes reliable for a ton of species.
With all that being said, NOW is a great time to spread seed! Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Mini-clover, Dichondra! Start your meadow; start your no-mow lawn! One thing to keep an eye on too is that quite a few mixes online will use language like “Southeast” or “Georgia” flower mix, but that DOES NOT mean native. Feels deceptive and it’s unsettlingly common. A source like Native American Seed lets you buy un-mixed native seeds if you want to curate your own particular mix. Remember,
- Loosen the soil slightly (or rake lightly)
- Optional: mix seed with sand so it spreads more evenly
- Press seed into soil (don’t bury deeply)