Easy do-it-yourself ways to welcome spring
Prepping for Spring
- If rainfall has been deficient, water trees, shrubs and lawns to prevent winter damage.
- Begin the vegetable garden with cool season crops such as potatoes, onions, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries.
- Seed semi-hardy vegetable crops, such as lettuce, turnips, radishes, after Feb 15th.
- Till flower and vegetable beds adding an acidic soil amendments.
- Plant shade and fruit trees, berries, grapes and shrubs.
- In early March seed new areas or overseed existing areas of shady lawn grasses with a tall Fescue seed. Apply a starter 18/24/12 granular fertilizer at the time of seeding. Water seeded areas twice daily for 3-5 minutes until the seed is germinated. Keep seeded areas damp but not saturated during germination.
- Now is the time to apply preemergent applications to Bermuda grass areas to prevent Spring and Summer weeds. Preemergent can be added to Fescue areas after the seeds are established.
- Fertilize and apply insecticide to established shade and ornamental trees, fruit and nut trees, and other shrubs while also keeping harmful insects at bay – including borers.
- Prune dormant deciduous shade and fruit trees in early March. You may also prune berries, brambles and grapes. Do not prune evergreen trees or shrubs until March. Also wait until mid-March to prune deciduous shrubs, including crepe myrtle and roses.
- Please submit additional questions or needed information to bphoa73083@gmail.com and we will resource the answers for you.