Now that the temps are finally rising and spring fever is hitting us all, it’s time to evaluate your landscaping. Here are some tips of things to look for and items that can be done to encourage a long lasting healthy landscape season.

1. Evaluate for any winter damage. This winter was especially harsh on this areas’ landscape. You want to keep your eye out for winter burn, sun scald, salt and animal damage. These kinds of damage might seem minor at first, but most plants will not bounce back from any of these conditions.
   
   
2. Clean up any debris, leaves and dead perennials. With all this rain, it important not to let any kind of debris sits too long. This will have a negative impact on the turf and surrounding plants. Moist conditions breed a whole host of pests and diseases.
   
3. Move naturalized bulbs. Some daffodils are considered to be naturalized in our area. If this kind of bulb were used, now is a good time to remove and place in a more permanent location if so desired.
   
4. Plant trees, seed, and replace sod. Spring is an excellent time to do plantings or seed/sod. The cooler weather with rain will help the success of the plant. It’s always better not to do this in the heat of the summer if possible.
   
5. Replace mulch. As you probably noticed, the mulch is looking kind of sad from being windblown, soaked and sun bleached. If you top dress mulch, not only will this improve the overall appearance of the beds, it will help with your summer watering.
   
6. Check for bugs and diseases. By this time bugs are starting to spread like wild fire. The earlier you identify pest issues the easier they are to control. Bugs to watch out for at this time of year are Zimmerman pine moths, eastern tent moths, and aphids.
   
   
7. Selectively pruning is OK. You can remove spent flowers from rhododendrons and lilacs. This will help prevent seed production. Remove suckers, or undesirable growth from the base and surrounding areas of lilac’s roses, fruit trees and any grafted plants. It is also a good time to trim your junipers, cypress, or other conifers. Pruning is essential to keep plants healthy and in good shape.
   
8. In the next few weeks, as you see your rose bushes greening up, that’s the time to trim back the brown parts of the canes (stems) to where the green part starts.
   
9. Ornamental grasses also need to be cut back now and divided if necessary. Every couple of years grasses need to be divided so you don’t have dead centers. If they look like this, it’s time to divide.
   
10. Get ahead of that Crabgrass. If you haven’t already now is still a good time to apply a pre-emergent and fertilizer to that lawn. It will help your grass stay green and weed free longer.
    

Isn’t it nice to see some green, some new growth, buds swelling, and real signs of spring coming!

To contact Moore Landscapes, Inc., you may reach member representative Kerry Schneider at (847) 417-7486 or kschneider@moorelandscapes.com.