Spring is a great time to get out and begin to clean up the yard and prepare your plants to grow. There are some things that you should do and some you shouldn’t; here’s a list of activities that can get your landscape off in good form for the growing season to come:
Trees
Ø Be sure to provide adequate water during the time trees are leafing out. This can be a stressful time if adequate soil moisture is not available.
Ø Mulch root zone areas. This will allow for retention of soil moisture and add organic matter and nutrients into the soil content.
Ø Identify trees at risk for fire blight or other potential damaging pests and defer the pruning to winter months. At this time we discourage pruning of Apples, American Elms, and Spruce. These trees all have potential pest problems that can be aggravated by pruning at this time of the year.
Ø Schedule spring fertilization treatments to enhance growth.
Ø Schedule spraying for IPS beetle, ash borer, fire blight, and Zimmerman pine moth. Watch for aphids and mites that could be potentially damaging new growth as it unfolds.
Shrubs
Ø Perform rejuvenation pruning on multi-stem shrubs that have become too large. Cutting many multi-stem type shrubs back to the ground in spring allows for vigorous and healthy re-growth.
Ø Tip back junipers by hand. Hand select prune junipers just after the spring growth flush occurs. This allows for the maximum reduction without an extensive amount of re-growth as a response.
Ø Remove the candles on pine and spruce shrubs to eliminate the new season’s growth. This is the only optimum time to perform size reduction pruning on these types of plants.
Ø Wait until after bloom to prune summer flowering shrubs. Pruning in spring will often remove the flowering portions of the plant on many shrub types.
Lawns
Ø Schedule spring fertilization and pre-emergent herbicide applications . Follow up with thorough watering.
Ø Core aerate lawns with heavy thatch layer.
Ø Re-seed bare and thin spots…water these areas well.
Ø Apply new sod anywhere necessary.
Ø Check sprinklers for proper operation and coverage.
As always, we are available to answer questions about, consult on, or assist with the care of your landscape plants and lawn. We have added to our already knowledgeable staff this year and have more resources than ever to help you along this spring. Please call and we will be glad to come over.
