Congratulations on surviving a chilly New York winter, but now its time to start thinking about your landscape waking up from its winter slumber. Here is a list of tasks to be completed to set your yard up to shine all season long:
Equipment- Now is a great time to check on your equipment that has been over wintered. Make sure the lawn mower is running well and potentially take it to the local repair shop for a tune up to avoid the warmer day crowds. Inspect your landscaping tools for wear and clean any that are dirty.
Clean up- The winter winds can be very harsh on your garden especially broadleaf evergreens. Step one would be to get in the garden and prune out the winter damage. Evaluate any plants that did not make it over the winter and dispose of it at this time. Cut down any ornamental grass that was left for fall color. Any foliage on your perennials that was left for the fall can be trimmed now as well. These trimmings make great compost.
Weed Control- Late spring and early summer weed control is a very difficult battle to win. A good strategy would be to get a head start on the weeds by applying a pre- emergent in the landscape. This is a blend of corn gluten that works by drying out the emerging plants initial root. Apply this to your planting beds to prevent weeds.
Plan- Start to think about what you want your landscape to accomplish this year. Consider planting annuals for a bright mix of seasonal color. If you are looking to brighten up the yard this year, stop into the nursery with pictures and our landscape professionals would love to make some recommendations.
Prune- Early spring is a great time to do your annual pruning. The plants are dormant and can take a harder hair cut. This is when branch structure is most obvious, allowing proper pruning decisions to be more easily made. Avoid pruning early spring blooming shrubs such as azalea and rhododendron. These are best pruned after they flower.
If you need help with anything on the checklist, please feel free to reach out to your landscaping professionals at Wiesner Bros. Nursery. Take advantage of our experience, we are here for you Staten Island.
