Things To Do For Spring Cleanup

It’s time to start thinking about cleaning up your property for spring. This post is about the things you should do in the spring. My next post will be about things your shouldn’t do!

Do cut all perennials back to just above ground level, including the evergreen ones, because the foliage that has been through the winter will soon look very tattered. Exceptions would be Iberis (Candytuft), which gets cut back after its spring bloom along with Helleborus (Lenten Rose) and Euphorbia Robbie. Some plants, such as Hemerocallis (daylilies), Hosta, and plants without much branch structure, just need to be cleaned up if not removed in the fall. Never cut Lavendula (lavender) the whole way back; just reshape it in the spring.

Do cut fall blooming Clematis paniculata (Sweet Autumn Clematis) back to at least one third of its growth.
Do cut all ornamental grass back in the spring so it can regrow again. Some grass that heavily seeds should be cut back in the fall, such as Chasmanthium (Sea oats), so you don’t have the plant everywhere you don’t want it.

Do check for scale on any plants from last season. If detected, use a dormant oil spray while it is still cool and before the leaf break to control the spread of the scale.

Do try the new Hyddrangea macrophylla “Endless Summer” which blooms on new and old wood if you don’t already have them. It is definitely worth digging up all those purple and blue ball hjydrangeas that are old in order to get the continuous full-flooming ones on the market today. They are wonderful!

Do fertilize your acid-loving plants with an acid-loving fertilizer such as Hollytone because we do not have acid soil in the Lehigh Valley. This will help them have dark green foliage. If the foliage is still yellowish in color, an acidifier such as sulphur or aluminum sullphate scratched into the soil is better. This slowly helps the plant as the water takes it down into the soil over a year or so.

Do keep mulch on your beds to prevent weeds from germinating freely and to keep moisture in during dry periods.

We can help! If you find that you would like to have experts do some or all of these kinds of tasks using our knowledge on your property, please call us.