As a long Pittsburgh winter gives way to spring, it’s time to get your lawns and gardens for the new growing season. Spring is the perfect time to get started planting in your yard! Continue reading to learn about the best landscaping tips for spring.
Basic Clean Up
You’re going to want to begin with basic clean up in your yard or garden from the winter season. Start by sweeping up the debris and particles that have accumulated over winter. Brush back leaves on top of the plants, remove dead growth from perennials, and pull back any dead annuals. Then, you’ll remove the winter mulch to clean up your vegetable beds and get them ready for pruning.
Pruning
Next, you’ll want to start pruning trees and shrubs. This will increase the tree and plant quality in your yard before new growth begins. There are some important tips to keep in mind when pruning various plants:
- Be careful when cutting branches to avoid ripping bark off the base of the tree.
- Trim your hedges to be wider at the base than at the top because this will spur re-growth.
- Similar to hedges, try to prune all plants so that roughly half of the total growth is in the lower two-thirds of the plant.
- Use the proper tools for pruning!
- Remember to measure twice and cut once- you can’t glue plants back together.
Add Mulch
If your garden has mulch from last season, you’re going to want to cover it up with fresh mulch. Or, if there’s no mulch in your garden, add some for better results! A new layer of mulch can make a big difference when it comes to the growth and health of your new spring plants.
Weed Control
Any perfect garden environment requires some weed control to begin with. Apply pre-emergent herbicides in your garden once it’s cleared out. This is a method of preventative weed control that will stop the invasive plants from taking over your new plants. It produces a chemical coating that layers the soil, preventing seeds from germinating, and weeds from growing in your newly planted garden.
Fertilizing
Lastly, make sure your yard or garden has been fertilized to add nutrients to the soil and promote plant growth. Fertilizers can be thought of as nutritional supplements that can be very beneficial to the new plants. Even if you’ve fertilized before, the plants you removed from past seasons took up the nutrients from the soil, and the fertilizer should be replaced for best results. This will ensure that soil nutrient levels are at an acceptable level for healthy growth, ready for fresh spring flowers or trees!
Now it’s the best part- time to plant new trees or flowers! Make sure to do your research and choose the best plants to bloom in your area for spring and summer. And now that you’ve taken the time to landscape before planting, your flowers and trees will flourish.
Eichenlaub can help you with your landscape architectural planning, planting and other installation needs; just give us a call or send an email to set up an appointment to meet with one of our consultants.
Contact us if you have any further questions.
– Kevin Anthony Prall
kprall@eichenlaub.com
412-767-4769