The sun is finally shining after what feels like an incredibly long, dark, and cold winter. But, don't be too hasty to pick up your pruning shears and head out into the garden – experts warn we're experiencing a false spring and colder fronts will soon return.
False spring is a phenomenon in late winter and very early spring when unusually warm temperatures arrive, often triggering plants to bloom and put on new growth prematurely. The issue is it typically only lasts for a couple of weeks before frosty conditions return. As such, some pruning, planting, and fertilizing now is likely to do more harm than good.
Experts say these actions may seem productive but will actually make your plants vulnerable to frost damage, potentially wiping out your spring garden before the real growing season arrives. Here, they share five common mistakes to avoid in false spring to protect your plants' health and save wasted efforts.
What is False Spring?
False spring is a period in late winter or early spring when temperatures seem warmer than usual, the sun is shining, and some your plants have responded positively with new growth and early blooms. But, it's often short-lived with colder weather retuning just a few weeks later.
'False spring can feel like permission to begin planting. Warm days arrive, soil softens, and it seems like winter is ending,' describes Siobhan Shaw, sustainable gardening expert and founder of Growing to Give.
'But when that warmth is followed by a hard freeze, the damage can be significant, not something a bandage can fix,' she adds.
To help you avoid this, experts have shared five common mistakes to steer clear of during false spring.
5 Mistakes to Avoid in False Spring
You can look out for a false spring by looking ahead at the weather forecast for your US hardiness zone, identifying your frost dates, and figuring out when the last frost is.
This way you'll know exactly when it's safe to prune, plant, and fertilize without putting your garden at risk.
1. Don't Neglect Fruit Blossoms
It's not uncommon for some fruit trees to have emerging blossoms in early spring. But, don't be fooled by the warmer temperatures of false spring – these delicate flower buds need protecting now to ensure they fruit later in the year.
'I have seen entire peach and apricot crops lost after trees began blooming during a January thaw and then freezing temperatures returned and turned them black,' says Siobhan.
'Once blossoms are damaged, there is no fruit for the season. That means no harvest, and in our home, no canned peaches or apricot jam for winter. It makes the impact very real,' she adds.
You can protect the best trees for spring blossom with things like a frost cloth (like this one for trees from Amazon) during this time.
Just take care to remove it during warmer temperatures in the day (which will allow for pollination to happen) and replace it as frosty nights return.
Only when the risk of late frost has passed entirely should you remove the frost cloth completely.
2. Don't Direct Sow Seeds
With your garden soil feeling warmer and daylight seemingly sticking around for longer in false spring, it can feel like the right time to sow seeds outdoors. However, the short-lived nature of false spring won't fully support seed germination, reducing your yield.
'I was so excited when warm weather broke that I planted peas in clay soil, only to return weeks later and find no germination,' Siobhan recalls.
'In heavy, cold, saturated soil, seeds can rot before they ever sprout. Air temperature can be misleading during false spring and soil conditions matter just as much,' she notes.
Instead, keep an eye on your frost dates and wait to direct sow later in the season for warm-season crops. Or, sow seeds indoors to start them early in a controlled environment, like a greenhouse.
You might find these seed trays with humidity domes from Amazon are helpful for the vegetables you plant in March.
3. Don't Plant Out Seedlings
Just like sowing seeds outdoors, the short-lived conditions of false spring won't be suitable for supporting a smooth transition for seedlings and starter plants.
'It's important not to get too excited and start planting outside when a false spring arrives,' warns gardening expert Annette Hird.
'It will most likely spell disaster for those tender plants, and even if some of them do survive, they're probably not going to put on that spurt of growth you were hoping for when the weather finally does become warm,' she adds.
This rings true for seedlings, starter plants, and overwintered plants, which are best kept under cover until all risk of frost has passed.
If you're lacking sheltered space to keep them in, consider a portable greenhouse (like this from Amazon) or a cold frame.
4. Delay Pruning a Little Longer
If you're anything like me, then you're keen to get out in the garden after winter to tidy up, cut plants back, and get the yard spring ready. But, it's a pruning mistake to do so during a false spring.
'Pruning during a false spring creates an injury on the plant and if the temperatures are going to drop again, that injury will be exposed and the plant won't be able to heal itself,' explains Lindsay Chastain, gardening expert and founder at The Waddle and Cluck.
If the plant isn't able to recover from pruning before frost returns, it could severely weaken it. This is especially true when pruning encourages new growth that will only be wiped out by colder temperatures.
It wastes plant energy, hinders its health, and could even cause the plant to dieback.
Instead, focus on light clean-up during this time, only pruning to remove damaged and broken plant material rather than encourage new growth – check out our list of plants to prune in March for more guidance.
If you do have to do any essential pruning during this time, always use sharp, clean pruning shears (like these Fiskars bypass pruning shears available on Amazon).
5. Avoid Fertilizing Your Plants
There are some plants that benefit from early feeding, but doing it too early can cause some serious setbacks once those frosty conditions return.
'This will initiate new growth, which is likely to die if a freeze happens. Hold off feeding plants until after the last predicted frost instead,' Annette suggests.
Not only can it encourage new growth that won't cope well with colder conditions, but fertilizing when plants aren't actually in active growth can cause fertilizer burn, causing them to fade and dieback.
Slow release fertilizers are often a better choice to avoid fertilizer burn, offering a gradual source of nutrients over a longer time period.
For example, you can fertilize your rose by applying this slow-release rose feed from Amazon in spring.
FAQs
What Is Fool's Spring?
Fool’s spring is simply another name, an alternative to false spring, that people sometimes use to describe that first period of warmth and sun in late winter or early spring. It is often followed by cold and seasonally-expected weather, including low temperatures, frosts, and snow.
Not only are there mistakes to avoid in false spring, but there is actually a false fall to be aware of, too. Check out our guide for expert advice on what to do when this comes around.
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