Seasonal Garden Maintenance and
Landscape Tips
Spring- Spread granular, slow release fertilizer. (This is optional if you fertilized in the fall or winter)
- Aerate the lawn to treat compacted soil
- Mulch plantings with organic matter, if necessary
- Sharpen your mower blades at the start of the season
- Install annuals after last frost
Summer
- Learn the signs of bug infestation, and head them off before they become a problem
- Water
your established lawn weekly if rain is scarce or your soil is poor. Otherwise, water only when rainfall is absent more than
10 days
- Treat weeds and bare spots as soon as they appear
- Sharpen your mower blade
again halfway through the season
Autumn
- Water trees and shrubs thoroughly but don’t over water! Plants and shrubs should be expected
to look a little off color in September and October
- Mulch new plantings with organic materials, or a layer
of fallen leaves for winter protection
- Fertilize your lawn and plants around Thanksgiving to promote strong
growth for the next season
- Cutting the grass a bit shorter just before winter to prevent matting under
snow
- Plant bulbs
Winter- Place burlap windscreens around less hardy plants if they’re in exposed areas
- Use
a broom to brush snow away from evergreen trees gently, to keep the weight from breaking the limbs
- If
ice or snow does break tree limbs, cleanly cut the damaged limbs from the tree as soon as weather permits. Consider
hiring a professional arborist for difficult situations and for valuable plant material. Damaged trees are more prone
to disease.
- Putting markers at the edge of your lawn and planting areas will help you avoid damage when
it is time for snow removal.
- Avoid walking on frosted or snow-covered lawns
- Prune
trees and shrubs for structure
- Use only non-salt de-icers for sidewalks and driveways, so the runoff doesn’t
harm plants. Salt will damage lawn and plant materials, and will keep them from absorbing much-needed water
Check
any perennial plants during periods of thawing soil to see if roots heave out of the ground. If they have, gently push them
back into place, and add mulch
