Here’s Your Spring Checklist
The best part about spring is being outdoors! After winter, however, our landscapes need some TLC. Here’s your spring maintenance checklist to make sure your landscape is ready for the season.
Transplant! March and April are the best times to move a tree or shrub or perennial that you love but is in the wrong place. Dig around the root ball of the plant you want to move while retaining 60% or more of the roots. Burlap cloths or a bucket can be used to hold the root ball together while transplanting it to its new home. Plant in its new location, backfill firmly and water thoroughly.
Sharpen Bed Edges! Define landscape beds, cut a border edge 3” deep around all mulch beds.
Add Plants! Spring is a great time to add new plants or fill in bare spots. The best way to prevent weeds is to space plants tightly together and not give the weeds a chance!
Pull Weeds! We often think of weeds as a summer task. Surprising as it may sound, we have many winter weeds in Nebraska. Pull them out now while they are young before they get established. This is best done after rain when the soil is moist as they pull right out. Cover disturbed areas with mulch immediately to suppress new weeds.
Fertilize! If you have poor soils or hungry plants, spring is the best time to fertilize. Whether you choose to compost or commercial fertilizers, select one with a balance of nutrients 10-10-10 or 14-14-14 with micronutrients and not an overly high nitrogen content.
Mulch! Mulch decomposes over time and turns into natural compost fertilizer. Add a fresh layer to keep beds looking good, suppress weeds, insulate plants, hold in moisture, and increase your soil health. Only add 1″ for a total depth of 2-3″.
Apply Pre-Emergent! Pre-emergent helps prevent pesky annual weed seeds such as foxtail, crabgrass, and others from developing. It’s best applied in April with an optional second application in May/June.
Cut Back! Cut back last year’s growth from perennials and grasses. It is best to wait until mid-April for this to allow the beneficial insects who overwinter on your plants to wake up and move on, but before the new growth begins.
Prune! Prune spring-flowering shrubs right after they bloom if they need it. Prune trees, remove suckers, crossing branches, damaged branches, and low hanging branches. Limit the removals to 10% of the canopy.
Need help? Our Healthy Landscapes Program is designed to maximize the health and natural beauty of your landscape and trees. The Healthy Beds program maintains the ornamental beds and controls weeds, while the Healthy Lawns program includes mowing, fertilization, and weed control.
The Healthy Landscapes Program is the ultimate solution to the maintenance-free landscape all year long. Contact Jensen Gardens to help with the leg work and handle everything from clearing out debris to refining the bed edges to pruning and shaping. 402.253.8880.