My Oh My, the Forsythia Are Blooming!
As you know, we are having a very early spring and this weather is pushing the dates forward to get busy in the yard and garden. Broadleaved evergreens like hollies, boxwood and euonymus are nice and green while other years, at this time, we may have noticed a lot of brown leaves due to "winter burn" from very cold temperatures coupled with windy conditions. If these plants need pruning now is a good time to get that done. Also it is time to get the clean-up started before we get into the planting season.
This is the perfect time of the year to prune some of our evergreens like yew shrubs, arborvitae and junipers. If you have any of these varieties that may have become a little too large for their location this is the time to give them as severe a pruning as you care to do. The great thing about pruning severely at this time of the year is that the plant is loaded with energy and is ready to really "pop" after the winter. Another thing that is so good is that you will not have to look at the stubs very long that will result because the new growth will be coming in just a short time. It would be good to have this type of pruning finished in the next couple of weeks.
As soon as flowering shrubs like forsythia, bridal wreath spirea, lilac, mock orange and weigelia are finished blooming that is the time to prune them so they make a full plant and bloom with even more flowers next spring. Prune your roses now since they are breaking dormancy and beginning to grow. Cut back your hybrid teas and floribundas to about 12" from the ground including your Knock Out roses. Climbing roses should only be pruned back slightly to remove any really wild growth, keeping the long canes in place so the trellis remains full.
If you have covered some tender perennials or garden mums to protect them for the winter, it is the time to uncover these plants for two reasons: 1) spring has sprung and our plants are growing and 2) avoid having rot which can occur causing damage to the stems of the plants you protected. It appears that any harsh weather is behind us so no damage to the plants is likely to occur.
Remember to put the weed control down in the flower beds as soon as you can get the beds cleaned up. It is early for this but essential to do now due to the advanced warmer weather.
Enjoy the nice days that are ahead, get outside and soak up the spring. If a question comes up, drop us a line at info@meadowview.com, we'll do our best to get you a prompt answer.
Growing here in the Miami Valley for 33 years.
Meadow View Growers