Trees & Shrubs

• Apply 7.5 to 10 cm (3-4 inches) of mulch to shrub beds.
• Prune water sprouts from crab apples and other trees.
• Remove supports from trees that have been in the ground a year.
• Snap off all new 'candles' from Scotch pines, firs and other conifers to encourage compact shape
• After forsythia, spirea or other fountain-shaped shrubs have flowered, cut 1/3 of the oldest canes to the ground

Perennials & Bulbs

• Keep new plantings well watered.
• Apply water-soluble fertilizer to get new plantings off to a good start.
• Complete new plantings.
• Complete dividing and replanting of overgrown or crowded plants.
• Allow foliage of early-flowering spring bulbs to dry out before you remove it.

• As leaf buds swell and open, remove winter protection and note which cultivators are most damaged.
• Plant bare-root roses. Plant container roses anytime from now until July.
• When shoots are 2.5 cm (1 inch), prune ever-blooming and mini roses.
• Lightly prune ever-blooming climbers, leaving main canes alone.
• Remove winter-killed wood from old garden roses, but don't thin out or shape at this time.

• Fertilize lightly with a 2-1-1 ratio fertilizer if lawn growth is poor.
• Establish regular mowing schedule. Never cut more than 1/2 of the leaf.
• Watch for fungus diseases.
• Watch for insect damage from cut worms, grubs and ants.
• Give 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water per week with one deep soaking if weather is dry.

• Sow cool-season vegetables early this month. Make succession plantings of radishes, lettuce and spinach. Late in the month, direct-seed beans and other warm weather crops.
• Transplant seedlings of cucumbers, melons, squash, and peppers. Water with a high-phosphorous fertilizer. Water through black plastic mulch and protect with floating row covers.
• Plant hardy herbs. Start basil inside.
• Harvest rhubarb and asparagus.

• Prepare beds by adding organic matter,lime and fertilizer as needed.
• Plant out half-hardy plants after danger of severe weather has passed.
• Put out containers of seedlings on warm days to harden them off before transplanting.
• Apply pre emergent herbicides to reduce spring-germinating weeds.
• Weed, water and fertilize as needed.

• Put out over wintered or newly planted containers as weather permits.
• Sink empty pots into large planters to hold seasonal plants such as spring bulbs, summer annuals and fall mums.
• Be prepared to protect tender plants from surprise late frosts.

• Till bed regularly until transplant time to control weeds and aerate soil.
• Apply black or clear plastic mulch 1-2 weeks ahead of transplanting time to help warm the beds.
• Harden off plants in a cold frame or on an unheated porch 7-10 days before transplanting out.
• Apply high-phosphorus fertilizer at plating time.
• Be ready to protect transplants from surprise frosts.