We’ve made it through Winter. During a season when we normally rest I found myself in desperate need for outdoor time. We have just spent 6 months quarantining and the last thing we wanted was to have the little sunshine we had disappear. However Spring is at our feet and I feel a spirit of hope all around. As the trees began to break dormancy and the blades of grass begin to grow towards the sky I feel joyous. Here are a few task you can take care of now in your garden.
- Prune your roses if you haven’t already: If your roses are in their 1st year then cut them back 1/3, 2nd year roses can be cut back by a half. Remove any dead canes and debris from the rose. Once the plant leaves out spray with a horticultural oil to prevent disease.
- Clean any old, dead debris from all your borders, perennials and trees.
- Plant Summer Blooming bulbs. My favorites are Gladiolus, Dahlia, Lily, Alliums and Caladiums. Don’t overlook the bins at your local grocery stores, Walmart and big box stores. Starting in January they put out boxes of bulbs, tubers and cuttings. This is a great option to fill your beds inexpensively. Most are perennials and will be small the first year but the second year they will fill in and create full borders.
- Aerate your lawn. This allows proper drainage, encourages the roots to grow down and allows the fertilizer to penetrate to the soil.
- Feed your shrubs a good organic all purpose mix.
- Amend your raised bed soil with worm castings, aged manure and alfalfa or comfrey tea.
- Add compost to your perennial borders to add nutrients to the soil and suppress weeds.
- Spray your Peach trees with a fungicide spray to reduce leaf curl.
- Start seeds following the packet info and your last frost date info.