You might have lost an hour of sleep with daylight saving time but you gained an hour after work to tend to your spring lawn and garden tasks.
This time of year, many homeowners are ready to get their hands dirty.
But before you get out the shovel, pruner and mower, we’ve compiled some tips on when and how to tackle outdoor tasks right to make sure your hard work pays off.
Tasks you can do now
Trees
June through December of last year were extremely dry. We have had above-average moisture since then but it’s still a good idea to water your trees and shrubs to help them recover from those dry months.
Always water slowly, making sure to water out as far as the tips of the tree branches.
Last year at this time people were pruning the many trees damaged by the 20 inches of snow Fort Collins received March 13-14.
We haven’t had one of those limb-breaking snows so far this spring, but there still is a chance. April has produced four of the city’s top 10 snowfalls, all of which measured more than 20 inches.
Pruning trees for damaged and dead branches or limbs rubbing against each other should be done anytime of year. However, if you are pruning to shape a tree, generally February and early March are best times.
Proper pruning is key to saving, not stressing, the tree.
When pruning dead branches, avoid cutting into live tissue. Cut at the nearest point between dead (brown) and live (green) tissue.
Always prune just outside the branch collar, which is the raised or swollen area of the branch near where it meets the main trunk. It usually has wrinkled bark.
For larger branches, use a three-step pruning process:
- Make a small undercut on the branch to prevent the bark from stripping into the tree when the branch falls. This removes much of the branch weight.
- Cut just outside the undercut until the branch falls.
- Remove the stub branch by pruning the branch just outside the collar branch.
Other limbs and branches to prune include those that are growing upright in the center of the tree.
It’s best not to remove more than one-quarter of a tree’s branches in a year, as that can affect its growth and health.
With newly planted trees, only prune dead, damaged or crossing limbs or those interfering with the main stem.
You also can start pruning shrubs and hardy shrub roses now, but wait until later this month to prune more tender roses, such as hybrids.
Trees, hardy shrubs and perennials can be planted now.
Lawns
Lawn aeration is good for all lawns and is best done now. Waiting can cause damage to young grass roots.
Aeration helps reduce unwanted thatch build-up and the need to power rake.
Make sure your soil is adequately wet and definitely not hard. The wetter the soil, the deeper the plugs you can pull, which is the goal.
You can allow the plugs to break up naturally, break them up using your lawn mower or rake them up.
You can rent an aerator for around $60 to $70 plus a tote trailer if you need or pay a lawn care company $40 to $60, depending on the size of your lawn.
If you need to power rake your lawn, do so as soon as possible as it is best to do when grass is dormant. But first determine if you need to power rake. Only do it if you have three-quarters to an inch of thatch layer, which is the brown, mostly dead grass between where the grass blade meets the roots. If you aerated, look at the plugs to determine the width of the thatch layer.
Instead of power raking, consider a light raking with a lawn rake.
Seeding or overseeding a bluegrass or fescue lawn can be done now through September. When overseeding, make sure you buy the same grass seed blend as you have in your existing lawn.
Weeds
If you have crabgrass, apply a pre-emergent herbicide now before crabgrass seeds germinate, which typically is mid-April to mid-May. Pre-emergents are best applied at least two weeks before those dates.
If you pick your weeds instead of spray, make sure the soil is wet to allow for removing as much of the root as possible, or your efforts will largely be fruitless.
Wait to do these tasks (or proceed with caution in some cases)
Mowing
The only reason to mow your lawn now is if you wish to break up aeration plugs. Otherwise, hold off.
Make sure your lawnmower blade is sharp as dull blades tear grass, leaving the ends susceptible to drying out. Blades generally need sharpening every other year.
Bluegrass lawns in Colorado should be mowed to a height of 2½ inches in spring, then allowed to grow to 3 or 3½ inches as the weather warms. The longer grass length helps retain soil moisture.
Fertilizing
If you fertilized in late fall, wait until around Memorial Day to fertilize again. If you didn’t fall fertilize, apply half the amount recommended. Water in fertilizer.
If you apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer in April, it causes grass blades to grow at the expense of stronger root growth.
Other applications can be applied around Labor Day and again in October or November.
Sprinkler system
It might be tempting to turn on your sprinkler system if we get warm days without moisture. It’s best to wait until at least mid-April or longer if we receive rain or snow.
If you turn it on and we get a hard freeze, it could damage your above-ground system.
Vegetable gardening
When to start planting your vegetable garden is always a gamble in Colorado. We have average frost dates but those widely fluctuate year to year.
In Fort Collins, there is a 90% chance of seeing a hard freeze (28 degrees) on April 5, a 50% chance on April 18 and a 10% chance on May 2. The average last frost (32 degrees) is around Mother’s Day (which is on May 8 this year).
But you can plant some vegetables now, such as onions. In a week or two — if you feel lucky — you can plant peas, radishes, carrots, lettuce and spinach.
Semi-hardy vegetables like beets, carrots, cauliflower, parsley, potatoes and Swiss chard can be planted two weeks before our average last spring frost.
Wait to plant tender vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin and watermelon no earlier than mid-May.
Resources
For more Colorado lawn and garden advice, visit extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/. For trees, visit cmg.extension.colostate.edu/gardening-resources/online-garden-publications/trees-and-shrubs/.
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
