Springtime Tips for a Sensational Yard (3/4)

As the frosty days of winter give way to warmer weather and we begin to enjoy more daylight in the evening, people naturally start spending more time outside. Neighbors last seen taking down their holiday decorations suddenly reappear after a couple of months of hibernation. Those stuck inside the gym all winter are out walking and jogging in the neighborhood. And on the first few warm, sunny weekends of spring, parking lots at local nurseries and garden centers are overflowing with DIY landscapers and gardeners looking to freshen up their home’s curb appeal, plant a flower or vegetable garden, create the backyard oasis of their dreams or just have some fun playing in the dirt.

Just as you give your house a good spring cleaning, it is important not to neglect your outdoor spaces, gardens and landscape after the colder months have had their way with them. But knowing what to do and when to tackle it can be a bit overwhelming, especially when you consider all the work a picture-perfect spring landscape requires. From fertilization to pruning to planting, there is a lot to navigate and unless you are a professional, a little help goes a long way. Below are some tips that will help you manage your lawn and garden work like a pro, so you can spend more time outdoors enjoying the splendor of the season.

• Inspect your trees and shrubs. Start your spring spruce-up with a thorough inspection of your yard. Look for any branches that might be broken or damaged and prune them or have them removed by a professional. It is also important to inspect shrubs, especially evergreens, for signs of winterkill or damage from deer and other animals.
• Check your irrigation system. Once the weather has warmed up for the year, turn on your irrigation system and see if it is in good working condition. If you have a landscape company, they can do this for you. You can also hire an irrigation company to do the inspection. If you are doing it yourself, be sure to run each zone, looking for possible leaks and making sure all sprinkler heads are functioning as planned. Make any needed adjustments and repairs. 

• Examine outdoor lighting. Your outdoor lighting serves two purposes, it provides safety and security around your home, yard and outdoor spaces and adds visual interest and curb appeal. Protect your investment by checking your outdoor lights for broken fixtures and burned-out bulbs. Replace or repair them if there is damage. Also, remember to reset timers to account for Daylight Saving Time.
• Test your soil. Many landscapers suggest testing your soil once every few years to ensure it has the proper pH balance and mix of nutrients. You can find information on how to get your soil tested at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office. You can also work directly with your local county extension office, ask your lawn care or landscape professional or buy soil test kits at garden centers.
• Fertilize your lawn. The decision about whether or not to fertilize and the type of fertilizer you need should be based on the nutrition requirements of your lawn and the soil conditions revealed in your soil test results. If your soil does need nutrients, make sure you choose a fertilizer that matches those needs. It is also important to confirm that your variety of grass should be fertilized in spring. In Atlanta, Bermuda and Zoysia are the two most common warm-season grass types that benefit from springtime fertilization. Consult the UGA Extension lawn calendars for more specific information on fertilizing and caring for Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, Fescue and St. Augustine grass types.
• Control lawn weeds. Spring is a good time to apply pre-emergent weed control for weeds such as crabgrass. One indicator is when forsythia is in full bloom, which tells you it is usually the perfect time to apply crabgrass weed preventer. According to the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, “Apply herbicides to control annual summer weeds such as crabgrass and goosegrass prior to soil temperatures reaching 55° F. Recommended dates are March 1 to 20 in north Georgia and February 15 to March 15 in south Georgia.” If you miss this window or do not apply a pre-emergent crabgrass preventer, all is not lost. According to Pike’s, “There is now Bonide Crabgrass Preventer Plus that eliminates existing crabgrass.”

• Prune non-spring blooming trees and shrubs. If you didn’t prune your shrubs and trees in fall or winter, according to experts, this is the ideal time to tackle it. Pruning before new growth and warm weather helps keep shrubs and trees from being susceptible to diseases. It also helps get rid of the old branches and blooms from last year and makes way for the fresh, beautiful blooms of the new season. Aside from some Crepe Myrtles, remember it is best NOT to prune shrubs and trees that will bloom in the spring.
• Tidy up planting beds. With new growth getting ready to emerge, you need to carefully rake old leaves and debris from your plant beds. Though this debris once served the purpose of protecting your plants from severe weather and helped create a layer of nutrients and moisture, your spring plants are ready for some sun – and actually need it to grow healthy and strong. Consider putting all organic waste in a compost pile to turn it into a valuable, nutrient-rich resource.
• Color your garden. It’s time to start replacing winter-season plants like pansies and cyclamen with spring annuals, including geraniums, marigolds and petunias for the sun and coleus and green-leaf begonias for the shade. Plant them in the garden, pots and hanging baskets to add gorgeous color to your landscape. Now is also the time to start tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and all the vegetables you love to harvest come summer. If there’s a late frost, just be sure to cover your plants with a frost cloth, then remove it first thing in the morning.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs. With all the focus on getting your lawn in tip-top shape, it is easy to forget that shrubs, perennials and annuals need to be fed regularly during their growing season too. Without it, you will see fewer flowers, weak growth and an increased susceptibility to insects and disease. According to Georgia gardening expert Walter Reeves, “There are two ways to fertilize: if you water the plants regularly, use a granular fertilizer like 10-10-10, applying one pint per 100 square feet of a flower bed. If the plants are not watered regularly, use a water-soluble fertilizer and fertilize regularly according to label directions.” Reeves goes on to share that “Fertilizing shrubs takes place two or three times each year, usually in March, May and July. Check the planting site and correct any existing problems first. Older plants or where more growth is not desired may be given only a March application of fertilizer.”
• Lay some mulch. Last but certainly not least, before you put your tools away, add an inch-thick layer of fresh mulch in plant beds and around trees, but be sure to keep it a few inches away from the plant base or tree trunk. Mulch is an important step as it protects plants from heat stress and helps landscape beds conserve moisture. This is especially critical in Atlanta because we generally face some level of water restrictions as summer wears on. Mulch not only makes planting areas look neat, but it keeps the roots cool in the summer and insulates them in the winter. As an added benefit, as mulch decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil. 

A Few New Listings this Week