A Spring In Your Prep

March is here! A little rain, a lot more sun, and you know that winter is definitely fading. Even your yard begins to feel a little different…as if it’s excited to be the host of a party in which the revelers are flowers, fruits, birds and critters and you! 

But even mother nature can’t do it all by herself. Here are some things you can do to help prepare your outdoors for the upcoming spring:

Pruning

Did you know that pruning is one of the most important steps you can take to maintain your trees and plants? It’s also an easy step to miss because a lot of trees (like fruit trees), only begin to look really wild after their leaves and fruit begin to appear. So take the time this spring to get started on some basic pruning. 

Pruning doesn’t involve complicated equipment and can be done pretty easily. All you need is a basic set of stem pruners for smaller branches and bypass loppers for the tougher, larger branches. You can also use a tooth saw or pruning saw for thick branches. We recommend the Corona range of pruning loppers and shearing tools, also available at your local home improvement store or on Amazon.  

Wondering where to begin? Start with a small tree/shrub (like Japanese maples, rhododendrons or azaleas). Look for the ‘4 Ds’:

  • Dead
  • Decayed
  • Diseased
  • Deformed

Clearing such parts of the plant will prevent any further damage to other healthy parts, and help control its growth in the right shape and direction. Do not overprune and try to keep the pruning to no more than 1/3rd of the plant. In anywhere from a few months to a year, you will see a much better looking, healthier specimen. Remember to wipe down your pruning equipment with rubbing alcohol, to prevent transfer of diseases from one plant to another. This also helps keep your equipment clean and good as new for years to come.



Need more guidance? Plant Amnesty has some great videos to help you get started. Here are some of them:

If you have many different types of trees that need specialty pruning care, we are happy to help! Call us for specialty pruning or to consult us for pruning tips.

Mulching

March is also a great time to help your plants with some good mulch. Mulching holds nutrients in the soil and helps moisture seep in, so that the soil doesn’t dry out by the summer. It’s also an excellent way to prepare for any landscaping you might be planning to do over the rest of the spring and summer. It literally helps lay the ‘groundwork’ for old and new plants! Simply put in an even 2-3 inch layer in and around all planting areas to achieve the best growth and cleanest look. The best part is, you don’t need to clear any dead or dry leaves before applying mulch! You could also use wood or play chips as mulch. 

Mulch is inexpensive and easy to acquire anywhere, from big box stores to grocery stores. We recommend using local, fertile mulch, easily available at local nurseries and stores that exclusively sell soil and mulching products. Our favorite store to get fresh, high quality mulch at the best prices is Molbak’s in Woodinville. 

If you’d rather wait for the fall, October and November are also great months to get some mulch in for the following spring. The fall and winter rain will help the mulch create a great fertile layer for your plants. 

Fertilizing

While mulching can help retain nutrients, fertilizing is the best way to get plenty of nutrients into your soil that might have been absorbed already or were washed away by rain. 

Like mulch, fertilizer that is purchased fresh locally is ideal, especially for the following types of plants:

  1. Roses
  2. Azalias
  3. Fruit trees like apple and pear

For most acid-loving plants, Miracle Gro is the best fertilizer and is widely available. Fruit trees do well with good organic fertilizers, so we recommend Dr. Earth Organic fruit tree fertilizer. 

If you’re planning to start a vegetable garden, March is a great time to put in fertilizer, so that your tomatoes, zucchini and other veggies are the envy of your neighbors in the summer! We recommend Jobe’s Organics fertilizer for your vegetables. 

We are truly excited for the spring and we hope this helps you really enjoy yours! 

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