- Rake and remove mulches from all flower beds.
- When danger of frost has passed, uncover strawberry beds and keep them well watered.
- Plant blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and fruit trees.
Prune forsythias as soon as the flowers fade. Cut the oldest stems to within a foot of the ground, but be sure to let the plant keep its arching form; don’t turn it into a gumdrop or cannonball.- Feed your trees. As soon as the frost goes out of the ground, give them a well-balanced slow-release fertilizer.
- Scatter about six good handfuls per each 10×10-foot area. Store leftover fertilizer in a small plastic trash can or a covered plastic container, and label it.
- Rake your lawn to remove all leaves, dead grass, and small twigs. Sow seed for a new lawn, or fill in bare patches by first covering the area with compost or other organic matter. Roll the lawn if the ground isn’t soggy.
- Clean out your ponds.
- Hybrid Tea Roses should be fertilized prior to buds beginning to bloom. Using a systemic fertilizer will help prevent insect infestation later in the summer, as it feeds your rose.
- Cut out all the dead canes from your raspberry patch. The new canes that will bear this year’s fruit should have new, swollen buds along the edges. Thin these to five canes per foot of row to allow good air circulation and prevent overcrowding.
- Rotate your houseplants so that each side receives it’s share of light, for even growth and a balanced shape.
- Spring cleaning your plants will keep them beautiful and help to avoid diseases. Remove any spent flowers, dead leaves or branches, or any yellowing leaves. Rinse the dust from the leaves with the kitchen sprayer. Clean leaves allow the plant to breathe!
The Ferda's Garden Center Website
