10 Essentials of Garden Preparation for Eastern US Coastal areas

Most of us are ready for warmer weather and ready to get outside. For gardeners this is the time of year for cleanup and preparation of our gardens and lawns. Here on the SOBX, we have had a particularly brutal winter, so prepping may be a little more time consuming this year. Here are some tips to get you started. Remember, knowledgeable growers will always be the best source for selecting plant material as well as good information on specific plant care. Always ask questions at your favorite garden center for best results.

1. Sharpen your lawn tools.
   Now is the time to check your garden tools for rust and blades that may need sharpening. Living on the coast, I discovered that sand is a plentiful and excellent way to keep tools clean and rust free. Fill a large container with sand and stick them directly into the sand after each use. The sand works much like sandpaper. It will keep the tools clean and blades sharp between uses.

2. Bring out your garden art and furniture.
   This includes gazing balls, wind chimes, lawn furniture, garden art, fountains and flags. Clean each of these using mild detergent as needed. Re-seal chipped paint on furniture, repairing and protecting flags and most furniture cushions with a product like Scotchguard will help prevent fading from the sun and protection from the outside elements. Re-apply in the fall before storing for the winter.

3. Cleanup the yard and planting areas. Remove limbs and other debris from the lawn. Dispose of natural materials by bagging, burning in proper burn pits and even upcycling some pieces for creative yard art.

4. Cleanup beds and vegetable garden areas from debris and clear all dead foliage and flowers that have fallen on the ground over the winter. Loosening the soil and mulch will promote growth as the weather warms. Be careful using sharp tools in your flower beds as they can damage tender and dormant plants. Your hands are often the best tool for this task.

5. Cut ornamental grasses. This chore can be tricky and tough on the hands. Wear protective clothing as many of the grass blades may be sharp and cause painful cuts. Try using a belt or bungee cord to make this task easier. Place the belt or bungee cord around the entire plant, apply constant tension as you cut and cut just below the strap. This will make cleanup and disposal much easier. Plants may be cut back to about ½ of the original size. Do not cut the center of the plant shorter than the outside edges.

6. Separate plants and bulbs that have multiplied or gotten too thick. Examples include: most bulbs, ginger, and day lilies. Don’t re-plant too deeply and make sure to keep the rhizome on the top side of the bulb when re-planting. The rhizome is the flat side of the bulb.

7. Unless you want to battle weeds in your lawn and flower beds, now is the time apply a good Pre-Emergent. A pre-emergent is a weed seed killer. Use generously on your lawn and in all your flower beds, as it will not affect your plants or lawn. It simply kills the weed seed before it germinates. For best results use at least 3x per year (Spring, Summer and Fall). This will drastically reduce the use of chemicals to kill unwanted weeds. Hand weeding should be minimal if you use pre-emergent regularly in flower beds.

8. Rose Bushes and Climbing Roses. Now is the time to cut your rose bushes back and remove dead limbs and foliage. Climbing Roses may need trimming as well. Both can handle about 1/3 of the plant being pruned. Be especially careful in cutting the climbers, unlike the rose bush, climbers are deciduous (plant blooms on old limbs). Be nice to your roses and enjoy them almost all year.

9. Fruit Trees. Now is a great time to get those fruit trees you’ve been wanting to plant. Fruit trees are usually some of the first plants to bloom in the Spring. NOW is NOT the time to prune existing fruit. Cutting now could affect how it plant blooms and produces. Non-fruit bearing trees are usually early bloomers. Some popular ornamentals include: Cherry Trees (Kwanzan,Okami,Yoshino) Pears and a few varieties of apple and other seasonal fruit trees.

10. FERTILIZING. This is probably one of the most asked questions every spring. The Answer is NO! It is never recommended to begin fertilizing before at least April 10th, even though you will see ads for weed/feed starting in March. You WILL damage or kill lawn areas, should we have another frost after you apply to your lawn. Be patient and you won’t work as hard to enjoy your lawn. Always buy fertilizer formulated for the grass your have, I.e. Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia etc. Remember when purchasing grass fertilizer that Centipede is NOT like the other grasses. Centipede does not like high nitrogen and will burn more easily and is much slower to recover than true grasses.

*See a local nursery that sells sod and is knowledgeable in growing grasses and Centipede Specific Fertilizers.