Spring Maintenance of Your Garden.
The first period of garden maintenance begins in the spring.
Pulling up dead plants and shrubs and cutting down any existing perennial
plants will prevent overcrowding of your garden. Also, trimming the shoots of
all-season evergreens will allow for a new shoot growth. Keep in mind that
ornamental grasses and perennial shrubs will also need cut back to establish
new growth. In addition to trimming your shrubs and perennial plants, you will
want to remember to the most essential up-keep of any garden, weeding. The soft
soil in the spring makes it easy to pull weeds and the seeds of young weeds and
grasses. Remember that after all your basic clean-up is done, you will need an
area to dispose of the plant material, such as a fenced compost area.
A Specified Spring To-Do List
Beginning in March you should have seeds growing, but not
ready to plant. For everyone soil testing may be advantageous. Also, depending
on the area of the country you are in you may have different planting
schedules. For those in Florida and Northern California, perennials and summer
bulbs can be planted at this time. For those living in the Northeastern United
States, planting depends on the weather. You must wait until the final frost in
order to have successful flowering annuals and perennials.
Once warmer weather is consistent in your area of the
country, you can feel free to plant, but remember that heat loving flowers
should not be planted until warmer temperatures have completely arrived. Keep
in mind that once the consistently warm weather of May arrives, you will need
to weed constantly, and you will need to make sure to keep blooming flowers and
shrubs separated to prevent overcrowding. Also remember to watch for pests such
as asparagus beetles, aphids, cabbage worms, cutworms, scale, slugs &
snails and any signs of fungal diseases.