Spring brings the perfect gardening conditions and busy season for Sargent's on 2nd

Sara Guymon, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·3 min read

May 20—ROCHESTER — Spring is here and it's time to get seeds and plants in the ground. And for greenhouses in Rochester that means it's officially their busy season.

With the warmer winter, gardeners have a bigger window to get their seeds in the ground. The gardening season got an earlier start and Sargent's on 2nd is encouraging people to get their seeds in soon.

"Traditionally, Mother's Day kind of kicks off the season and this year, it seems to be a little bit earlier," said Neil Imsdahl, the manager at Sargent's on 2nd. "We have about two weeks where we're really just going crazy here and this year with the weather the way it's been it's been a little bit warmer, people started to get kind of that gardening. It's just a couple of days earlier than they normally would have."

By waiting until the middle of May, gardeners lose the risk of unpredictable weather.

"The reason why mid-May is always at its peak is because the risk of frost is generally gone by about May," Imsdahl said. "We're kind of analyzing that year by year, just looking at the forecast. But this year, we would not anticipate any frost or really anything below 40 degrees from here on out."

High winds, storms and drought can begin to cause issues during the spring months. Fortunately, Imsdahl has heard that this spring is going to be fairly neutral. This hopefully means less intense storms and a smaller risk for things like hail.

"I think the fact that we didn't have the real cold this winter, soil temperatures stayed a little bit warmer or maybe warmed up a little faster because we didn't have snow cover right away in the spring," he said. "Also because we did not have snow cover, some shrubs may have suffered. Snow acts as an insulator. I know at home. I noticed a little bit more die back on some shrubs because we didn't have that moisture and snow cover over the winter to help protect."

The ideal weather for the next few months would be consistent rain once a week to help maintain moisture in the soil but the weather is uncontrollable. Making sure plants have enough moisture is crucial to gardening.

When it comes to indoor plants, however, the biggest killer is overwatering them.

"It's really easy to over love your plants and most plants unless they're water plants don't require watering every day," said Imsdahl.

Gardening can be a fun hobby to take up and allows people to reconnect with the earth. Imsdahl encourages anyone to come to Sargent's on 2nd to ask questions, beginner or experienced gardener.

"Start small, start with one container," said Imsdahl. "I don't mean literally start small but start with maybe a 12- or a 14-inch pot on a balcony or a patio and really watch that. Houseplants are also a great way to get into plants in general. People really enjoy having houseplants that they can watch and take care of inside their home."

There are many beginner-friendly plants, too. Herbs are a good option for people who want to get into growing plants with a culinary purpose and succulents are always a beginner favorite.

"Succulents are always really popular among beginners because they're drought tolerant, so they kind of thrive on neglect," Imsdahl said. "... Also things that have kind of a dual interest can pique people's interest as well. So plants like plants that attract either pollinators or hummingbirds."