Home Grown Notions: Jump Start Spring

by Beth Cook, Mammoth Cave Transplants
Spring is soon to be here! There are lots to be done in preparation for the new growing season! In early spring there are a few sure things to do, like cleanup tasks and plant maintenance. Use these tips and pay a visit to your garden, tend to what’s already there, and of course, plant a few things, too! So let's get started!

Spring Tip #1: Prune those roses!
Roses need to be pruned now before they start to leaf out.
Spring Tip #2: Cut back Ornamental Grasses
Now is also the time to cut back ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth. If new growth has already started, cut back to where the new growth has begun.
Spring Tip #3: Cut back and clean Perennials
Cut back and clean up perennial skeletons from last year.
Spring Tip #4:Divide Summer Perennials
Dig up and divide perennials such as hostas, daylilies, Shasta daisies , ornamental grasses, and other summer blooming perennials.
Spring Tip #5: Prune Dead and Diseased branches
Prune away dead, disease, weak, and crossed branches on trees and shrubs. Also remove suckers from trees.
Spring Tip #6: Apply Dormant Oil Spray
Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees, magnolias, crabapples and shrubs such as euonymus to control scale insects and other overwintering pests. Use this organic pest control method when the buds are swelling but the leaves haven't opened yet. Apply when temperatures are between 40 and 70 degrees F.
Spring Tip #7:Re-seed and Repair your lawn.
Re-seed and repair bare and damaged patches in your lawn.
Spring Tip #8: Plant your Cole crops
Vegetables such as Cabbage, Onions, Peas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and potatoes can been planted now as well as sowing radish, lettuce seeds and other greens.
Spring Tip #9: Plant cool weather Annuals
Plants that can handle the cooler temps like Pansies, Viola’s, Dianthus, and Snapdragons can be planted now to give you some color and curb appeal.
Spring Tip #10: Plan and dream!
Spend the first days of spring in your yard making plans for the coming year. Enjoy the sunshine and fresh air and savor in the excitement that only spring can bring.

While we are all antsy to get our hands dirty and to start the planting season, it is still too early here in Kentucky to plant some of our many beloved flowers and vegetables. We need to wait until the chance for frost is gone. March is notoriously unpredictable. There may still be chilly nights to come, so don’t get ahead of yourself. Happy Gardening from Mammoth Cave Transplants!

"Spring is the time of plan and projects" Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina