If you haven't planted already, get your garden in now

It's planting time, folks. Really, the only advice I have this week is for you to get your gardens in. Simple as that.

The key rules to follow are: Harden off all your plants to ensure that they acclimate to the outdoors, apply the appropriate mycorrhizal fungi when transplanting or putting in seeds, give plants ample water during this critical time and, finally, mulch after planting. All that should be instinctive.

Meanwhile, the questions keep coming in, always timely. For example, the cotoneaster leaf rollers and the delphinium defoliators are at their peak. Several folks have asked what the differences are between Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) products and Spinosad, both used to kill the offending caterpillars.

Let's start with the Bt products. These bacteria are ingested by the caterpillars and cause them to stop eating in a matter of a few hours. There is some concern that the caterpillars eventually develop a resistance, but I have not seen that happen. Bt bacterium DNA is used in some GMO crops — a fact that by itself causes some controversy.

Spinosad is also a bacteria, this one discovered around a Caribbean rum distillery in the 1980s. They are produced by fermentation. This bacteria destroys the caterpillars' central nervous systems. Spinosad also hits a lot more insects.

Both work if ingested. Both come in organic formulations (though some have inserts which are not approved, so look around). In the Lower 48 many gardeners alternate and use one product one year and the other the next. This makes sense.

Next, a lot of questions about spraying companies knocking on the door and recommending that spruce trees be sprayed to prevent spread of bark beetle and aphid infestations. Yes or no? Spray or not?

This is a tough one. You know where I stand on spraying herbicides and pesticides so you know my answer. However, I do not know who is making the recommendation, nor have I seen the tree or property. All I know is that there is never a guarantee the sprayed trees will not become infested. You have to spray every year as the treatment does not last. And, yes, you might lose all the spruce trees on your property. Still, this is a problem we all need to discuss a lot more. Nature can be tough. I say no to spraying, but you know me.

[Here's why you should never use non-organic herbicides and pesticides]

What you can do is not damage the bark of your trees. Keep weed eaters away. If the roots are exposed, let the grass grow rather than mow the roots. Make sure your trees get water during dry periods. Make sure the air circulation in the lower canopy is adequate by cutting the lower limbs up to 3 to 5 feet. Mulch with needles or with leaves. Google around and see what else you might be able to do short of spraying.

OK, on to questions about composting. Yes: Now is a great time to start a pile.

The basic rules are simple: You need a mix of brown materials and green materials that makes a pile at least 3 cubic yards big. That is basically all there is to it. You don't need any containment, but making a cage out of wire or pallets is a great idea. It does not have to be square, fencing wire comes in rolls and all you have to do is cut a piece off to make a cage. And, finally, it is the microbes that do the work and make the heat, not the sun, so your pile can be located anywhere.

Compost is made from the right mix of brown to green organic materials. Collect leaves for the brown. Grass clippings are the green. It is hard to get leaves later in the season, so collect yours now.

One bag of grass and five bags of leaves will turn into compost in a year. If you use a one-to-one ratio and turn the pile when it heats up (usually within 5 days) and then keep turning it every four or five days, you can make compost in a matter of six weeks. Again, a few minutes with an article or two located on the web, and you will be all set to go. Composting is easy. Compost is the best stuff to use in the garden.

Finally, my good friend Mike Mosesian, of Bells Nursery, warns that even inorganic gardeners should limit their use of phosphorus. He is correct, of course. There is never a reason for anyone to use 8-32-16 fertilizer, especially in Southcentral Alaska where it was abused for so many years. Actually, it shouldn't be made anymore. We are running out of phosphorus. Moreover, what you might apply is instantly locked up chemically and very hard for a plant, alone, to access, even if you apply tons more. If you use chemical fertilizers and your plants need phosphorus, it is because you have tied it up, probably along with other nutrients. No more phosphorus.

Again, get out there and plant. Nature does not wait. Miss a week or two this time of year and you miss the season.

Jeff’s Alaska Garden Calendar

Potatoes: Always fun to grow and so easy. Buy starters at nurseries, not supermarkets.

Rhubarb: What are you waiting for? Yours is ripe and ready to harvest.

Add these upcoming events in your calendar now:

* Mat-Su Master Gardeners Association Annual Plant Sale: Saturday, June 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Palmer Pavilion, across from the visitor center. Lots of locally grown plants that are sure to thrive in your garden.

* Willow Garden Club Tour 2016: Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Start at Willow Community Center (Mile 69.9 Parks Highway) for map and directions to all the gardens including Coyote Garden. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy at George and Mary Howard's garden.

* Les Brake's Coyote Garden Tour:  Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 24, noon to 5 p.m. Mile 71 Parks Highway; turn right on Willow-Fishhook Road. Drive 7.5 miles up Willow-Fishhook Road. Signs will be posted. For further information about the tour call 907-495-6525.

* An Evening in the Garden: June 23, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Garden art sale, silent auction, beer and wine, garden buffet and live music and one great time and a worthy fundraiser for the Alaska Botanical Garden. Must be 21 or older. Tickets are $100. For more information or tickets call 907-770-3692 or visit www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-in-the-garden-tickets-23948878741.

Jeff Lowenfels has been writing this column for 40 years and never missed a week. He is the author of the best-selling, award-winning books "Teaming with Microbes" and "Teaming with Nutrients," which will become a trilogy with the impending publication of his third book. He can be reached at jefflowenfels@gmail.com.