Spring Tasks

It is time again to think about the upcoming growing season. I have a few tasks that I do annually this time of year to help prepare for a successful growing season.

1. Sharpen my tools. Sharp tools make gardening and landscaping much more enjoyable. Have you ever noticed the difference between a dull knife and a sharp knife when you are cutting fruits, veggies, or other things in the kitchen? I certainly have. The same principal applies to your garden and landscape tools. Make sure you sharpen you pruning sheers, loppers, hedgers, shovels, and any other cutting edges that you may have. This includes lawn mower blades. If you can't or don't know how to sharpen them, you may call me and I can do it for you.

2. Clean out the garden and beds. Some of this means cutting down the 'winter interest' plants such as grasses, sedums, and others. These can be composted instead of thrown in the trash. If you cut them small enough, I recommend tilling them into your garden (just don't put in the seed-heads).

3. Perform any maintenance on power equipment. This may mean changing the oil, gas, air filters, and spark plugs. Some of these just need cleaned and replaced. You don't have to spend the money on buying a new one and filling the trash with good used parts.

4. Plan of action. Plan to do only so much each time out. Do not dive into the landscape thinking you will finish everything in one shot. It can be overwhelming and very tiring. Instead, plan on a section or one task each time out. Such as cutting back the grasses, cleaning out the leaves, mulching the beds, or weeding. Weeding now when the soil is moist and the weeds pull easy is great.

5. Mulch. Mulch. Mulch. Mulch is important to in the landscape. It serves several purposes. First, it looks nice and visually ties together the different beds and plantings. Second, it conserves moisture for the plants. Third, it reduces weeds. Fourth, mulch degrades into compost and provides some nutrients for your plants. Remember to mulch now when the plants are small or not up yet. It makes for a much easier job. You can also put down corn gluten meal before the mulch. This works not only as a fertilizer but also as a pre-emergent. Best of all, it is all natural and safe for everyone!