The winter chill is still with us, but spring isn’t far away. Soon our attention will be on beautiful blooms and lush green lawns and shrubs, but to wake them up, there are a few first steps to keep in mind.

  1. Do Some Cleaning

The first step in preparing your lawn and gardens is to clean up any leftover leaves, twigs, and other debris. Cut back perennial and all appropriate pruning of shrubs and grasses.

  1. Apply Fertilizer, Pre-Emergent and Weed Killer

Early in spring, use a combination of fertilizer which feeds your lawn and a pre-emergent herbicide to help prevent weed seed germination. A pre-emergent weed control can also be used in your gardens. Follow up applications should be done as needed.

  1. Sharpen Mowing & Trimming Tools

Keep blades sharp our lawn mowers and hedge shears. Sharpe equipment will produce a clean cut and reduce the potential for leaf and stem damage. Sharp cutting tools will also allow leaf tips to heal and maintain color.

  1. Pick a Quality Mulch

Not all mulches are created equal. Look for the highest organic matter ground small enough to decay but large enough to help suppress weeds and maintain moisture in the soil.

  1. Trim Trees

Now is a good time to inspect your trees for dead branches that could fall and lead to potential injury and property damage. Removing some lower branches, when appropriate for species will help air flow, add clearance, and reduce the chances of fungal diseases transferring from the ground.

  1. Don’t Seed Until the Fall

It’s tempting to fill brown patches with grass seed, but if you are also applying pre-emergent weed killer, the seeds won’t germinate. Instead, fertilize the lawn to encourage leaf blade spread. If you have a large bare patch, consider using sod.

Remember, just because it is cold outside doesn’t mean there isn’t work to do. If you’d rather keep warm inside, let us do the work. Call us for a landscape consultation at 610.613.1243 to learn more about how Native Designs Landscaping can help you get a healthy lawn, shrubs, and trees.

Tom Wolfgang P.C.H