Spring Garden Wake-Up: Your Essential Early-Season Task List

Wait for Workable Soil

Don't rush. Working wet soil destroys structure. Wait until a squeezed handful crumbles, not clumps.

Cleanup & Cutbacks

• Remove dead perennial tops; leave 1" stubs to mark locations.
• Cut ornamental grasses to 1" above crown.
• Trim hardy hibiscus to 1".
• Rake off winter mulch (leaves, wood chips) to expose dark soil—warms faster, dries sooner.
• Hold off on new mulch until soil hits 60°F / nights stay >50°F for a week.

Prune Trees & Shrubs

• Remove branches extending beyond the natural silhouette—this aligns canopy with root zone, reducing drought stress.
• Cut just outside a node facing the desired growth direction.
• On young/fruit trees: remove lower ⅓ of trunk (suckers) to direct energy upward.
• Seal cuts >½" with pruning paint to deter borers/disease.

Dormant Spray for Fruit Trees

Apply horticultural oil or copper spray before bud break to smother overwintering pests and fungal spores on apples, cherries, peaches, apricots.

Plant New Trees & Shrubs Early

Bare-root or container—plant before bud break. Dormant transplants recover roots while tops are still asleep. Water in with dilute soluble fertilizer (e.g., ¼ strength) to prevent shock.

Planting Hole Protocol

1. Dig 2× width & depth of root ball.
2. Backfill mix: ½ native soil + ½ compost/manure + 25% peat moss (40% for acid-lovers).
3. Add coffee grounds/pine needles for evergreens.
4. Set plant slightly high (crown 1–2" above grade), backfill, water thoroughly.

Final Pro Tip

Keep a garden journal. Note bloom times, pest outbreaks, successes, failures. Next spring, you'll thank yourself.