Spring "To Do" List

Spring is just around the corner. March 20th is officially the first day of spring in 2017. It’s a wonderful time as we get excited about getting back into the garden.

Here is a quick guide to help you prioritize your spring "To Do" list.

Roses It's tempting to get out and prune your roses. But resist the urge and wait until late April/early May Use this time to ready your clippers; clean and sharpen them now

- When it is time to prune them, here's our advice. Hybrid teas, Floribunda, and English Roses can be pruned half-way down. Shrub roses prefer lighter pruning. Climbing roses are best pruned after their first big bloom in May. Dead wood, of course, can be removed at any time.

Perennial Flowers and Grasses It’s time to start pruning back to the crown the dried up stalks of perennial flowers.

- Russian Sage should be pruned back to 8″-12″ above the ground.

- Ornamental grasses also need to be cut to ground level to make way for new growth. If there is a dead center in your grass clumps, they need to be divided. Dig up the entire clump. Cut the clump into quarters, removing dead roots and stems from the middle edge. Enrich the soil with some compost and Yum Yum Mix and replant.

Spring flowering Shrubs Remember NOT to trim back spring blooming shrubs like Forsythia, Flowering Almond, Flowering Quince, Shrub Honeysuckle and Lilacs. Wait until after they finish blooming. Then all their new growth will turn into the flowering wood for next Spring.

Time To Fertilize If you didn't get around to fertilizing your trees, shrubs and perennials last fall, now is the time to do it. Apply and half and half mix of Yum Yum and good quality compost as a top dressing around trees, shrubs, roses and perennials. Scratch into the soil and water thoroughly.

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