Spring Gardening Checklist

The garden is waking up, and you're in charge! It's time to plant, prune, prepare beds, and care for your lawn.
Enlarge Image Species tulips and crocus are among the earliest flowering bulbs.
  • Check for signs of growth. Did you remember to plant snow crocus last fall? If not, cut forsythia or magnolia branches to bring inside for forcing to get a dose of early spring color.
  • Prep the beds. Remove winter mulch or, if well composted, work into the top layer of the soil. Work in some leaf mold or well-rotted manure, too.
  • Prune. Now is the time to trim fruit trees if you didn't prune in winter. Prune before buds begin to break into bloom or you'll stress the tree and get a tiny crop (or possibly none).
  • Perform basic maintenance. Check stonework for frost heaves. Check and clean the deck now so you don't have to do it later; make any repairs.
  • Start seeds indoors. You've spent the winter reading seed and plant catalogs, so try some.

Related article: Starting Seeds Indoors

  • Plant veggies. Hardy vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, artichokes, and some lettuces, should be planted now.
  • Divide perennials. Before plants have begun spring growth is a good time to divide many perennials. Share some divisions with your friends this year.

Related article: Dividing Perennials

Continued on page 2: Midspring

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