Week of 4/4 – 10
April 4 – Always make pruning cuts on an angle. That way, water is more likely to run off instead of collecting on the cut area and causing rot or disease. A slanted cut also drys out faster after a rain. Finally, the slanted cut leaves a smaller stub, which is better for the plant’s appearance.
April 5 – Evaluate the shape of your needled evergreens. If there are branches jutting out at odd angles, early spring is a good time to get rid of them. But don’t just shorten them as much as needed or you’ll be left looking at an ugly stub. Instead, prune down low, within the plant, and no one will be the wiser!
April 6 – Clear out the lawn, flowerbeds and vegetable garden before you get too busy and before plant growth covers everything. Get rid of rocks that may have risen to the soil surface during the winter months and rake out gravel and sand that might have been shoveled or pushed in.
April 7 – Thinking about moving a shrub or small tree to a new location? Early spring is a great time to do this – but while the plant is still dormant so there will be less trauma. Then, when it does start growing, it can direct all its energy into a great show. Always be sure the soil is workable before undertaing this type of project.
April 8 – Get in the habit of forming a basin around every plant you install or move around the perimeter of the plant’s drip line. Mound up the soil by a few inches in a circle around the plant’s root zone. Then, when you water, it will go straight to the roots. A basin also holds mulch well.
April 9 – Make a “nursery” area in a sheltered part of your yard. Clear it out, define its boundaries with a low fence or some rocks and put in some organic matter. You can temporarily plant, or “heel in,” bare-root shrubs, trees and rosebushes until they are ready to go into their permanent homes.
April 10 – Are deer an ongoing problem? Their destructive dining can be even more frustrating at this time of year when they go after young, emerging plants or ones you’ve just planted. Various repellants can work, but deer can be relentless and, if you mean business, you will need an 8-foot-tall fence around your garden.
