It’s officially spring!  Now’s the time to start spring clean-up, and prepare your yard and garden for the new season.

LAWNS

  • Seed new lawns as weather and soil conditions permit. The cool evenings and warm days of spring along with showers make it a great time to seed new grass.

TREES & SHRUBS

  • Clean, sharpen & oil pruning tools.
  • Remove unwanted suckers from trees & finish pruning fruit trees.
  • Remove winter protection from rose bushes toward the end of the month.
  • Fertilize trees and shrubs with Espoma’s Hollytone.
  • Apply horticultural oil (dormant oil spray) to control over wintering insects on trees, shrubs, and vines before the buds swell.
  • Prune late summer flowering shrubs like hibiscus or Rose of Sharon, and any plants damaged by wind, snow or ice.

GARDEN

  • Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses.
  • Clean up perennial & shrub beds; apply Preen as directed to prevent new weeds.
  • Rake debris from the lawn when the soil is fairly dry.
  • Before planting, have your soil tested at a lab recommended by your Extension office to learn which nutrients are present and which ones need to be added.
  • Keep in mind that digging in wet soil causes compaction, which removes the air pockets where plants get oxygen.
  • Before digging, call your utility companies to locate buried wires, cables, or pipes.
  • Remove tops and dead leaves from asparagus and rhubarb; side dress with a nitrogen fertilizer such as Espoma’s Dried Blood
  • Plant peas, onions, asparagus & lettuce in the garden as the weather permits
  • Plan your perennial gardens.  Make sure you plan the right plant in the right location – consider sunlight, moisture, and mature plant size.
  • Start spring bulbs indoors such as dahlias, cannas and begonias.
  • Continue indoor seeding of vegetables and flowers.
  • Increase watering and fertilizing of houseplants as day length increases
  • Helleborus are awaiting the melting snow and are probably already in bloom!

Click here to see our March sales and events!  For more advice, see our Helpful Handouts.

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