3 Spring Maintenance Tips for Optimal Growth

It’s officially Spring! Minnesotans everywhere are heading outside to see how their gardens and landscape have fared over this long, snowy winter.

If you’re unsure how to get started with spring clean up, here are a few tips to help you give your lawn and gardens a great start this season:

1.Lawn care

In early spring, remove turf that has been damaged by plows, disease or salt, and prepare the soil for seeding later in the month. Spring raking removes lingering fall leaves and grass blades that didn’t survive winter, but raking too early can damage tender turf. Don’t rake if the impressions of your shoes remain on the turf after you’ve walked on it.

2. Divide perennials

Flowering perennials can be pruned to a height of about 4–5 inches and ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth. Where soil has thawed, thin crowded daylily and hosta beds by dig up perennials and dividing them, leaving at least three stems per clump, and transplant them to fill in empty spots in the garden. Winter-damaged rose canes can be trimmed back to 1 inch below the blackened area.

3. Pruning

This is a good time to prune some trees and perennials, but it can be confusing. How far down the stem should you cut a hydrangea? Do you cut above or below the bud? When is the optimum time to prune trees? Download a complete pruning care guide here, and here are a few tips to get you started:

When pruning common landscape perennials, use a hand pruner to cut them back to the ground. Cut woody shrubs down to 1″ to 2″ in height. If you notice brown canes, cut back to areas where the cane is green.

For pruning evergreens like spreading Hemlock and spreading Juniper, use a hand pruner and cut branches to control the size and keep the plant evenly shaped.

Call us!

If you’ve been thinking about improving your landscape this season, let’s meet to talk about how to make your outdoor dreams come true. Call 952-467-4111 with questions or to schedule a meeting with our team. (You don’t want to wait another year, right?)