Spring Garden Chores
By Ginny Landis
UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County
Appeared in the 3-26-25 Village Life
Early spring is the time to clean up debris, revive the soil, plant new plants and prune. Tending to the following chores will get your garden off to a great start.
Groom your gardening tools if you haven’t done so over the winter months. Sharpen cutting and digging tools, lightly oil with penetrating oil and wipe with a clean rag to prevent corrosion.
Clean up winter debris and rejuvenate the soil. Trim broken and diseased tree branches and clean out leaves tucked away in beds and borders. Remove last season’s foliage and flower stalks. To cut back old foliage, first carefully expose tender green shoots then cut off the dead material an inch or two above the new growth. Rejuvenate the soil in early spring by adding a one-to-two-inch layer of compost over the soil, avoiding the crowns of plants.
Select a fertilizer, but keep in mind some plants need special fertilizers. Broad-leaved evergreens and needled conifers need fertilizer that acidifies the soil and supplies iron.
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