Spring Cleanup

After a long winter, these warmer days have left many of us anxious to clean our perennial gardens. Here are a few guidelines to help you along the way.

The nights are still getting cold so cleaning the bed to bare ground is pretty risky. A little ground covering will help protect your plants from freezing. Dead tops of perennials that have stood through the winter may be cut anytime without damaging the plant. Be mindful that pollinators and other beneficial insects do overwinter in many stems, though, and holding off a little longer to protect them may be good idea.

With spring comes mud but the issue with spring soil is much more than that. Treading on wet heavy soil or clay soil this time of year can cause soil compaction. Compact soil leads to poor drainage and reduced air spaces. Plants need those air spaces for strong, healthy root growth.

Walking in your perennial garden too early may also damage the tops of plants and bulbs you cannot quite see yet.
This time of year it is safe to work only on areas you can reach from the edges of the garden.

With a little patience perennial gardens will soon be full of life!

If you have any questions about spring cleanup or other garden issues, please feel free to ask. Just leave a comment below or use one of the following icons to contact us.