Ease into Your Spring Clean-Up
- Start with the areas nearest your front door. The prospect of cleaning up the whole yard can be overwhelming, but starting with your most-traveled and viewed area will help relieve some of that pressure. And remember, gardening is more about progress than perfection, so do what you can when you can.
- Be gentle when removing matted leaves from spring-blooming bulbs and ephemerals. And later in the month, after some of the daffodils, crocus and other bulbs have finished blooming, wait to remove their leaves until they die back. It’s tough to do, but those leaves will help the bulbs store energy for next year’s blooms.
- Make room in your compost pile, or start a new one. You’ll be filling it up quickly! For more, check out these composting resources.
Prep for Pruning
- In early spring, prune summer-flowering shrubs before the new growth starts. Be careful of hydrangeas that bloom on old wood, though. You can remove dead branches, but wait to prune those until right after they bloom.
- When the forsythia blooms, go ahead and prune repeat-blooming roses. Spring-flowering shrubs can be pruned after flowering or when their flowers start to fade. For more details on when and how to prune, check out this illustrated guide to pruning.
Seed Starting and Garden Planning
- Most seeds can be started indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost, usually around May 2 in Orleans County. Be careful about starting too early, though, to avoid leggy seedlings.
- If you have some older seeds, consider doing a germination test to see if they are still viable. Check out this video for simple instructions.
- For direct-sowing cool-weather crops like peas, you can start as soon as the ground can be worked, usually around April 15. To determine if soil is workable, take a handful and squeeze it. The soil should crumble readily when released. If it forms a compact, sticky, or muddy clump, the soil is too wet to be worked.
- Do a soil test to help ensure your garden’s productivity and health. Learn more about soil-testing and healthy soils.
- Consider joining us April 19 at 10 a.m. for Introduction to Native Plants, to learn how gardeners are uniquely suited to incorporating native flora and providing pockets of biodiversity for long-term sustainability. Part of our Seeds to Splendor education series, this class will be held at the Orleans County Cornell Cooperative Extension Education Center, 12690 State Route 31, Albion. Suggested donation: $5. To register, call (585) 798-4265 or email klo54 [at] cornell.edu (klo54[at]cornell[dot]edu).
- Remember to check out the Orleans Community Seed Share, a new seed library based at the Orleans County CCE offices in Albion.
Lawns
Be sure your lawn mower is ready to go for the season. We still have a while before we’ll need to mow, so if you didn’t get to it in the fall, clean and sharpen your mower blades. If you have a gas-powered mower, consider changing the oil and filter.
Tool Care
If you haven’t done it yet, now is the time to clean and sharpen your pruners, shears, spades, rakes and other garden tools. Check out these tips to get your tools garden-ready.
Houseplants
Now is a good time to start feeding houseplants again. It’s also a good time to see if you need to repot any root-bound plants. Before your next watering, check the roots of plants that have been in pots for a year or longer, especially if the plants are showing signs of stress. Find some good tips for spring houseplant care.
Consider your mulch
It’s best to wait to add mulch until the ground has warmed up a bit and the perennials are starting to emerge. But while you wait, think about the type of mulch you want to use and how much you will need. Mulch can help control weeds, conserve moisture and reduce soil erosion, among other things. Learn more about the different types of mulch and decide which is right for your garden