Saratoga Blooms Landscape Design

Spring Clean-Up 101

During the dark, dreary days of winter, I’m often anxious at the first hint of warm weather to see my yard turn from browns and grays to vibrant greens, yellows, and pinks. Sadly, this may be months away. But there are gardening chores that can be done now to ensure success in the coming season.

 So when those occasional warm days come your way, slip on your gardening gloves and head outside. The following activities will rejuvenate your plants, help control pest populations, and freshen the look of your yard.

1. Cut back perennials. Perennials are flowers and ornamental grasses that come back year after year. To look their best, you will need to remove old foliage and flowers from last fall. With a pair of sharp pruning shears, cut most perennials to within a few inches of the ground. You may notice that new growth has already begun.
2. Prune roses. Early spring is the best season for trimming back rose bushes. Roses should be cut back to a height of 12-18 inches, as they bloom on new wood. This can be done with sharp pruning shears or bypass loppers. Butterfly bushes and Bluebeard shrubs also require the same pruning method.

Among roses, the only exception to this hard-pruning rule is shrub roses (a common type sold in garden centers is “Knock-Out” roses). Shrub roses can be left alone or cut back by one-quarter their size to promote a more bushy plant.

3. Remove debris from around plants. Go through your shrub and flowerbeds and remove debris that has accumulated over the winter. Many of summer’s pests begin to set up residence at this time of year and it is often under decaying leaves and foliage.
4. Turn over mulch. If you use shredded bark as a groundcover, lightly rake it to aid in its decomposition. This will brighten the mulch and improve your soil.
5. Start weeding now. Perennial weeds start growing in early spring. Remove them now to prevent them from getting established and taking over your flowerbeds.
6. Fertilize when new growth appears. After you have completed the above tasks, you are ready to feed your shrubs and perennials. Most plants respond well to a balanced fertilizer (i.e., 10-10-10 on the label). A balanced fertilizer will promote plant growth, bloom, and root development. Don’t make the mistake of using lawn fertilizer on plants (label will have numbers like 20-0-0). This will cause some plants to have rank growth and few blooms. April is a good time to fertilize lawns.