Tools: cleanup and sharpen. We oil moving parts, sharpen blades and replace worn parts, tighten screws, tape up the handles. Most high quality tools offer replacement blades for by-pass pruners and loppers, even some hand held options. Check the manufactures web-site for replacement parts. Taking good care of well-made tools will provide a lifetime of service.
Cleanup: clean last years debris, remove dead plants, broken pots, leaves, damaged branches, low hanging branches.
Fertilize: blooming plants, perennials, shrubs, turf, trees, if you don’t feed at any other time now is the time. Plants work hard putting on new growth, help them put down deep, strong roots to survive the coming season of dry, hot weather. Send those roots deep.
Pruning: with Google there is loads of information out on the WWW of what and when to prune, woody plants if it blooms on last year’s wood don’t prune until after this year’s show (Azalea, Hydrangea common in our area) Perennials, we like to cut down, after new growth, for a couple of reasons; now, we know it’s a keeper, not a puller and the dead foliage offers some protection from freezing and ice. We’ve been caught a few times too, getting the jump on early pruning, maybe, this season, we won’t remove until we know we’ve done it in.
Mulch: Mulch, mulch, mulch, add mulch! Mulch adds nutrients, evens soil temperatures, holds moisture, reduces compaction, suppresses weed seeds, there is so many things mulch is good for, just do it!
Soil amendments: improve the turf, and beds with top dressing and soil amendments.
There are chores, lots of chores, if spring cleaning indoors is your thing, contact us for the outdoors. We’ll make short work of your outdoor chores.
