Secrets for Spring Success

About five years ago I wrote an article about what not to do to get your landscape ready for winter. As I continue to talk to people and make observations, I decided that a few of those things bear repeating. In addition, there are proactive things you should do before next spring. Time constraints, procrastination, lack of information, as well as the amount of misinformation on the internet can all lead to disappointment in our gardens. So, before we get too distracted by holiday preparations…

1. Let’s start by taking stock of what went well and what didn’t – and write it down! 

I don’t know about you, but my memory is not quite what it used to be. Six months from now I surely will have forgotten some of the details of last year’s growing season. We can’t learn from our mistakes if we can’t remember them! Ignorance will not be bliss next year. Include details about the weather, insects and other damage caused by hungry little critters.

2. Make next year’s shopping list now and put it in a place where you will remember where it is. 

As you pull up dead annuals, count how many you planted. Should there have been more in one area and less in another? Did you end up with leftover plants that never made it into the ground? What shrubs didn’t make it through the summer and need to be replaced next year? Make note of the specific varieties you planted. Although many of them will be available next spring, some of them will not, so the details you record will enable you to find suitable substitutes.

3. Plant spring bulbs. 

I am especially lax in this area. I love daffodils and hyacinths and snowdrops. Yet each year I seem to get distracted by other fall activities. Before I know it, winter is upon me and there are no bulbs in the ground. This year, I am determined to turn all that around. Many spring bulbs like tulips and lilies are tasty treats for bunnies, while squirrels crave crocuses. Although I have heard they leave tommies (a specific type of crocus) alone, the squirrels in my neighborhood have yet to weigh in on that one way or another. According to Brent and Becky’s bulb catalog, alliums, anemone, daffodils, fritillaria, bluebells, grape hyacinths, scillas, snowdrops, snowflakes, and winter aconite are all rabbit resistant. Colorblends also recommends Glory of the Snow.

4. Dig up non-winter hardy bulbs like tuberous begonias and cannas after a killing frost or most of the foliage has died back, but don’t wait too long.  

For begonias, cut back the stems to approximately one inch and cure the bulbs for two to three weeks before brushing off the soil. Then store them in peat moss or vermiculite in a shallow box. For cannas, cut the stems to two to three inches, remove the soil and cure for about seven days. Then wrap them in newspaper with some peat moss or vermiculite and store them in a box or paper bag. (Some people recommend dampening the peat moss.) Label each package, since canna tubers tend to all look the same. Store the bulbs and tubers in a cool, dry location where temperatures will not fall below forty degrees. Note: it is possible here in zone eight to overwinter cannas in the ground. Cut back foliage and add a thick layer (six to eight inches) of mulch.

5. Protect spring blooming shrubs like azaleas and rhododendrons from our ever-present winter wind. 

Water them deeply and add two to four inches of mulch around the shrub to protect the roots. If they are in an exposed location, build a wind screen for them by attaching burlap to wooden stakes.

6. Don’t winterize your irrigation system too soon; simply adjust watering times downward. 

After you turn the system off, keep monitoring rainfall, and provide supplemental water when necessary, especially to newly planted shrubs and trees.

7. Keep pulling weeds. 

Don’t leave them alone thinking they will die off during the winter. Weeds don’t know what month it is. If the winter is mild, they just keep growing and reseeding.

8. Replace mulch that decomposed or washed away this summer. 

Mulch provides a weed barrier, protects roots from freezing temperatures, and helps with moisture retention. It is also a good time to sprinkle some pre-emergent. But for heaven’s sake, don’t create mulch volcanos. This is one of my biggest pet peeves with professional landscapers. They heap mulch around the trunks of trees creating a mound that actually suffocates the plant. As we said, mulch retains water. Covering the trunk of a tree with it causes its bark to be susceptible to decay. Similarly to when a tree is planted too deeply, roots grow up into the much volcano and tend to circle around the trunk. These girdling roots can strangle the tree. Mulch volcanos do not kill trees immediately but rather incite long term stress that weakens the tree leaving it defenseless from dangers such as insects and disease.

9. To prune or not to prune – that is the question. 

This is one area where you need to know exactly what you are pruning. When in doubt, look it up. Here are a few general guidelines to follow:

• Dead, damaged, or diseased branches can be removed at any time;
• Minor pruning and shaping can be done throughout the summer;   
• Major pruning is almost always done when a plant is dormant in late winter or early spring;
• Spring flowering trees and shrubs should be cut right after the plant has finished blooming. If you wait too long, you will cut off next year’s buds;
• Summer bloomers such as crape myrtles should be pruned in winter or early spring when they are still dormant.

Whenever you choose to prune, please don’t commit Crape Murder by pruning too many branches too far back. Most otherwise law-abiding gardeners make this egregious mistake because they think it leads to more prolific blossoming. Au contraire, mon ami. According to Southern Living (who coined the term in 1977), “Severe pruning or topping of crape myrtles removes strong, viable limbs and encourages the growth of weak, flimsy shoots that often aren’t strong enough to support blooms come spring and summer. It also keeps them from forming the unique and lovely bark that makes these trees spectacular additions to the landscape especially in winter. And, the cuts made can allow disease and rot, which can eventually result in their untimely demise.”

Please note: Be especially careful with your hydrangeas. Some varieties bloom on old wood and should be pruned in mid-summer. Others bloom on new growth and can be pruned anytime except right before they bloom.  Still others like Endless Summer bloom on both. Prune them in the spring, being careful not to cut off new buds, and deadhead during the summer months.

Never prune anything in late fall. Stop pruning at least six weeks before the first killing frost. Pruning encourages growth and that new growth needs time to harden off before winter sets in.

10. Cut your ornamental grasses, but not until they flop and become untidy. 

Not only does the foliage provide visual interest in an otherwise boring winter landscape, but it can be a comfortable habitat for birds and other wildlife. How much should you cut? That depends. There are three types of ornamental grasses. Cool season grasses like Elijah Blue Fescue should be pruned in very early spring as soon as the snow melts. Cut them back to one third of their height, no more. Warm season grasses like Morning Light (miscanthus), Hameln Fountain Grass (pennisetum) or Pampas grass can be cut in late fall, or you can wait until spring. But don’t wait too long or you may damage tender new growth as you prune. Cut them down almost to the ground leaving a few inches for smaller varieties and as much as six to ten inches for larger ones. Don’t cut too little. New growth does not need the support of last year’s dead leaves and sometimes has difficulty growing through them. Also, clean away dead stalks from the center of the plant. The third type (plants like sedges and carex) aren’t true grasses and don’t necessarily need to be cut back except to tidy them up a bit.

One last thing to consider

People often ask me, “What is the secret to not having a green swimming pool in the spring?” It’s quite simple. Don’t close your pool just because Labor Day has passed, and don’t wait until Memorial Day to re-open it.  The longer you run your filter and monitor the level of chlorine, the less likely you are to have problems in the spring. Also, make sure your pool is pristine when you cover it. Decaying leaves and debris can cause stains that are extremely difficult to remove and add to the possibility of algae growth. Make repairs now, too. Who wants to start the summer season with last year’s problems? Pay me now or pay me later—later always costs more. By the way, if you open early and close late it’s easier to get on your pool company’s schedule. And if you do need to make a repair, they should have the time to do it.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Happy holidays. See you next spring!