Horticulturalist Melinda Myers offers tips and suggestions for each month of the year.
Remove any remaining winter mulch as your plants begin to grow and the weather consistently hovers near freezing.
Begin soil preparation when the soil is slightly moist. Take a soil test in poor performing gardens or when establishing new planting beds.
Reduce season long care by removing weeds as soon as they appear. Pull or lightly hoe annual weeds. Carefully remove perennial weeds or consider treating badly infested gardens with a total vegetation killer prior to planting. Be sure to read and follow all label directions carefully.
Continue monitoring for and protecting plants from animal damage. Tender spring growth makes good meals for rabbits and deer. Secure fencing materials, spread netting and apply repellents as needed.
Spread several inches of compost, or aged manure over the surface of existing gardens. Lightly rake this into the soil surface. Apply organic matter every two to three years to keep perennials vigorous.
Examine lavender, sage and thyme plants for winter damage. Look for healthy buds (firm and plump) and pliable branches. Wait for new growth to begin. Remove dead tips and trim as needed, leaving some healthy buds for new growth.
Rake out dead grass patches in the lawn and be patient. Wait for grass roots to resprout and surrounding grass to fill in these areas. Reseed in late April or early May, as needed.
Start mowing as soon as the grass greens up and starts growing. Mow high (3 1/2 inches) and often enough so you remove one inch or less. Leave short clippings on the lawn to break down and add nutrients, organic matter and moisture to the soil.
Apply pre-emergent crabgrass killer, if needed when the lilac flower buds begin to swell and bridal wreath spirea start to bloom. Use corn gluten meal for an eco-friendly alternative. Do not treat lawns you plant to overseed this spring.
Finish planting tender bulbs, such as dahlias, caladiums, cannas, and elephant ears indoors if you want earlier flowering and foliage outdoors this summer.
Plant hardened off pansies, dusty miller, snapdragons, stock, and other cool season annuals and vegetables outdoors.
Start zinnias, marigolds, calendula, cockscomb. tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors in early April.
Plant trees, shrubs and perennials as soon as plants are available.
Remove dead, damaged, crossing, and weak branches on roses. Remove a few of the older stems on shrub rose at ground level to encourage growth. Prune hybrid teas back to 16-18 inches tall. Remove only dead and old canes of climbing roses. Wait until after these plants flower to do any additional pruning.
Keep lawn mowers and weed whips away from tree trunks. Mower blight (tree decline due to equipment damage) is the biggest killer of trees. Mulch or plant groundcovers under trees to protect them from mowing equipment.
Celebrate Arbor Day, the last Friday of the month. Plant new trees, care for existing trees or have a family picnic under your favorite tree.
