Landscape Calendar
Garden Tips
- Check all your gardening tools in preparation for the season. Sharpen the blades on pruners, loppers, and your lawn mower. Take your mower in for a tune-up if needed.
- Do not walk on the lawn when the frost has gone out of the ground. The weather may be improving with some warm days, but be patient. Stay out of your garden and avoid raking or working on the lawn. Walking on the lawn in early spring will compact the soil, causing problems later in the season.
- Crabgrass preventer should be applied when the soil temperature is between 52° and 55°F. Use a soil thermometer to find the proper time to apply. Remember, lawn areas close to sidewalks and curbs warm faster than the center of the lawn.
- Be sure not to work the soil until it is ready. To test it, grab a handful of soil and shape it into a ball. If the ball holds it shape, but breaks apart into smaller pieces when you apply pressure with your thumb, it is ready to work.
- To plant cold-loving crops, simply scatter the seeds on the surface to the ground. The seeds will sprout and grow by themselves. This method works best with radishes, lettuce, onions, and beets. In addition, it’s a good time to plant cool season crops such as lettuce, peas, broccoli, spinach, and carrots.
- Perennials are warming up under the mulch you applied last fall. Be sure to remove the mulch as the temperatures starts to rise—the temperature should consistently stay near or just above freezing. Keep some extra mulch handy in case of an unexpected spring cold snap—you may need to reapply some mulch to your tender perennials.
- Depending upon the weather, you can usually plant hardy annuals outdoors in mid-to-late April, such as pansies, violas and Dusty Miller. Talk to your local garden centers before planting; they can give you a more detailed list of the best times to plant various annuals.
