Early Spring Garden Maintenance: Your Personal Guide to Preparing for a Beautiful and Abundant Garden This Year
Spring has officially arrived, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to get outside and start checking off your garden maintenance chores!
I’m making it simple for you by sharing ten essential early spring garden maintenance tasks all homeowners should know in order to tidy their landscapes for a beautiful and abundant growing season.
Get started with the list below, and keep reading for my personal tips for making each one simple and attainable this season.
Pick Up Leaves & Debris
Cut Back Perennials and Ornamental Grasses
Begin Weed Control Measures
Mulch Landscape Beds
Prune Plants
Evaluate & Amend Soil
Fertilize
Clean & Maintain Hardscapes
Prepare Seasonal Pots & Containers
Evaluate Additional Lawn & Landscape Needs
01. Pick Up Leaves & Debris
Over winter, fallen twigs, branches, leaves and other debris fall on lawns and gather around garden beds. Rake and remove the debris from the lawn so the sunlight can reach grass plants starting to grow. Remove last year’s annuals and other debris from garden beds to prepare for fresh mulch.
02. Cut Back Perennials and Ornamental Grasses
Perennials and ornamental grasses may still contain dead growth above ground that is leftover from last year. Use garden shears or hand pruners to carefully remove any brown and spent growth to allow this year’s foliage to form. Semi-evergreen types of perennials, such as liriope, also need trimmed back.
03. Begin Weed Control Measures
Some types of weeds start popping through the soil as soon as the sun starts making an appearance in early spring. Stay on top of unwanted weeds by beginning a garden maintenance routine right away.
One way to cut down on the amount of hand weeding through the spring is to apply a pre-emergent weed control product. Pre-emergent stops some weeds before they sprout and emerge from the ground. There are various types that can be used on your lawn, landscape beds, or vegetable gardens. Do your research and ALWAYS read the label of the product for specific restrictions and application directions.
Note: Not all types of weeds can be prevented. Some, like dandelions, can only be controlled after emerging from the ground and require a different method of eradication.
04. Mulch Landscape Beds
Mulching landscape and garden beds is not only another helpful form of weed control, but also a great way to keep moisture around your plants’ root systems. There are various materials you can use, organic and inorganic. My personal preference is ground wood chips. After the initial removal of debris and trimming of plants, apply mulch for a fresh looking landscape. Applying wood mulch is typically an annual garden maintenance task.
05. Prune Plants
Snow and ice during winter can take a toll on landscape plants. Tidy up trees and shrubs by trimming broken and dead branches.
Trim spring flowering trees and shrubs AFTER they have bloomed to prevent cutting off this year’s flowers. A few examples of spring flowering trees and shrubs include: lilac, azalea, rhododendron, forysthia, redbud, crabapple, weigela, some types of hydrangeas and quince.
Trees and shrubs that bloom on new wood (growth occurring in this season) can be trimmed at this time. A few examples include: roses, butterfly bush, and rose of Sharon.
Evergreen type shrubs, such as yew and boxwood, should be trimmed after their initial flush of growth.
06. Evaluate & Amend Soil
Are your plants not growing as they should? Do you suspect a problem with the soil or nutrition they are receiving? Take a soil sample and send it to your local University extension office for testing. According to the results, add amendments (such as compost, lime) to the soil to set your plants up for a successful growing season.
07. Fertilize
As plants begin to wake up from their winter slumber, it’s a good time to fertilize them. Well-established trees and shrubs need minimal fertilization. Instead, focus on newly planted items as well as perennials and ornamental grasses. Also, a lawn care fertilization routine will keep your grass green and healthy.
08. Clean & Maintain Hardscapes
Does your deck, patio or sidewalk need refreshing? Are there fences, gates or other structures in need or repair? Now is the time to address any repairs and freshen up the hardscapes in our yard with a deep clean, and fresh coat of paint, stain, or sealant.
09. Prepare Seasonal Pots & Containers
Remove last year’s annual plants from outdoor containers. Check for cracks or damage to containers that will need to be repaired or consider replacing. Ensure drainage holes are free and clear for excess water to escape. Freshen the soil and prepare for new plantings. Cool season flowers, like pansies, can be planted now. Other tender annuals should be planted in the garden after the danger of frost has passed.
10. Evaluate Additional Lawn & Landscape Needs
As you’re completing your spring garden maintenance tasks, take note of landscape changes that need to be made. Every lawn and landscape differs with needs and the homeowner’s desires. Some common things to look for include:
Plants that need replaced
Plants that have outgrown their space and need transplanted, divided or removed
Areas in need of new plantings
Addition of garden or landscape beds
Bare spots in the lawn to be reseeded
Addition of garden elements such as trellis, container, bench, etc.
When you’ve finished these ten essential yard and garden maintenance tasks, you’ll be ready to kick back and enjoy your outdoor oasis!
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