Monthly Garden Tasks

Clean up time!  After the winter snow has melted, it's time to get into the landscape and open the gardens for spring.

Trees/shrubs:

• Prune broken branches
• Trim out visible dead wood and leaves browned by winter burn

Perennails/Grasses

• Cut back any spent stems that were left up for winter interest to within an 1 - 2" or so of the plant crown.  This will give the plants a crisp clean look and prevent any animals from nesting in the dead debris.

Before adding any soil amendments, best practice is to take a soil test to determine if  any fertilizers or compost are needed.

Most state universities have a Soil Testing Lab and provide directions on their websites for sending in samples.

The analysis will also give recommendations for any amendments that may be needed for the overall health of the plants. 

Spring is also a perfect time to add mulches.  Bark mulch is commonly used for most garden areas.  Be careful not to apply too much - a 2-3" layer is recommended.  It isn't always necessary to apply mulch annually.  By mulching every other year, there is less risk of excess mulch accumulating around the plants.

Cool season plants like Pansy, Violas, English Daisy, Osteospermums and some herbs and groundcovers become available at local garden centers this month.

These plants are able to withstand the cool night temperatures that we still get this time of year.

Now is a great time to scout for potential pests.  Pests can include insects, diseases, mammals.

Many state universities offer fact sheets on  particular pests of the landscape, including UMass.  

Depending on the plants in your landscape you may need to reach out to a local arborist/landscape for specialized treatements.