Time to wake up the garden, or is it?

Our clocks have sprung forward, longer days are upon us and warmer weather is on the horizon. Of course, we should be prepared to get blasted with more cold days and hopefully some snow, but we are well on our way to the spring gardening season. What does this look like for you and your outdoor spaces? Are you itching to get out and start clearing and cleaning up your garden beds in preparation for things to green up? If so, I can relate, but I'm here to say, don't do it!

It's important to know that hiding in amongst the leaves and debris that is still on the ground and the stems that are still left standing, many of our important pollinators and other beneficial insects continue to enjoy their winter slumber. That's right, nestled in last year's growth there is an abundance of life. Many native bees including bumblebee queens spend the winter in these layers of discards and if you begin tidying too soon, you risk displacing them, which will most likely be their end. Some species of moth and butterfly larvae, spiders and a host of others are overwintering in your yard too. So, you can see that one swift pass with a rake or pruners, and you will disrupt many invertebrates that are waiting for just the right time to emerge and dazzle us with their beauty.

However, it's not just the photogenic insects that use the debris from previous years. Thousands of other creatures are occupying those areas as well. Many of these are hard at work breaking down the leaves, twigs, and needles that fall to the garden floor, and they are adding to the overall health of your soils. Earthworms, slugs, sowbugs (aka roly-polies), springtails, centipedes and microscopic organisms are decomposing all that material which, in time, turns into humus. Humus is the fully decomposed organic matter found in soil. It plays many important roles in soil health, including increasing water holding capacity and improving the fertility of your soil. So again, by removing the habitat of these decomposers, you miss out on a golden opportunity. Yes, you can buy and bring in soil amendments, but why not let the local microfauna give you a head start?

Whether the leaves that are in your garden beds blew in or you piled them intentionally to create habitat, you might now be wondering when it is okay to get in there and start freshening things up. While there isn't an exact right answer since we're dealing with varied weather patterns and natural cycles, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers some guidelines you can follow.

• If there's a chance of more snow and cold, and I mean a good chance, not one of our late Mother's Day storms, then it's too early.
• If you wouldn't plant your tomatoes yet, without a protective wall o' water, it's too early.
• IIf you haven't thought to yourself that it's time to tune up the lawn mower and get that first cut in, it's too early. Our typical cool-season grasses will begin growing when soil temperatures reach 50 degrees, until then, keep those leaves and debris down.
• IFinally, wait until fruit trees are mostly done blooming. The bees will come out from hiding and pollinate, but since nighttime temps can still drop in spring, they will need a place to take cover.

It is important to note that leaf litter can be habitat for garden pests, but the insects and animals that prey on those pests are found there too. It's an intricate dance that Mother Nature performs, and the more we learn about how it all works, the more we can work in concert with these natural systems.