Spring Checklist

Spring is a critical time for practices that will help maintain the health of your landscape.  Here’s a helpful checklist:

• Cut back herbaceous plants. Any remaining winter interest perennials can be cut back now.
• Remove dead plant material, dead leaves and dead branches.
• Edge planting beds in preparation for new mulch. Create a shallow edge to avoid damaging existing plant roots and do not place soil against the stem of woody plants. 
• Top-dress beds with a thin layer of new mulch, from just off the trunk to the outer dripline whenever possible. Wood chips make great mulch.
• Apply dormant horticultural oil sprays just before new growth begins. 
• Fertilize plants and adjust soil pH as needed. 
• Monitor for early spring insects.
• Prune plant material that blooms on new wood.
• Plant trees and shrubs. If you live in an area experiencing a drought, delay planting until the fall.