Once spring actually arrives, things happen quickly. Here’s what you need to get done NOW:
Clean up -I’m hoping you’ve already done this. It’s really important to clean up all of last year’s garden debris. I always leave a few things untrimmed - just for some ”winter interest” (that can also mean I was too lazy or tired to cut down everything last fall). Well do it now! Last week, a good friend who shall remain nameless (you know who you are) sent me a photo of her sedum, which hadn’t been cut down. It was nothing but brown stems and brown dried flowers with a little bit of green peeking up from the ground. She asked, “What do I do with this? Should I cut it down? What do I cut off?” I said, “Okay Buffy, Botany 101 - if it’s brown and dried up, it’s probably dead, so cut if off. If it’s green, it’s probably alive, so leave it alone.” (Buffy isn’t her real name, of course.) Now I’m not judging anybody - I really do have friends that are not plant people and I try to have patience. Buffy has other good qualities…
The point is - cut down the dead brown stuff so the new green stuff can grow!
Feed your hostas - I don’t know where you are, but here, north of Chicago, my hostas are just starting to come up out of the ground. It’s been a long winter - they’re hungry - feed them! I use a 10-10-10 pellet fertilizer - NOT timed release. Right now they need that burst of energy. Do this again in about 3 weeks. I’ll remind you…
Kill the slugs - I know you can’t see them, but those eggs have been underground all winter and lots of little baby slugs are dreaming of a good meal - HOSTAS! Start your slug prevention right now with a dose of slug pellets - I use a product called “Sluggo”. Safe for birds and 4-footed critters and for the environment. I don’t push any brands, I’m just telling you what I use.
Clean your garden shed - If you have time, this is always a good idea, right? I know I have lots of good stuff in there - I just need to find it!!
Review your garden notes from last year - I know you took notes, right? How else can you possibly remember all the things that were bugging you last year and you wanted to fix…
HAPPY SPRING!
Buffy’s sedum - she promised me she’d cut off the brown stuff!