8 Tips to Get Your Early-Spring Garden Ready for the Season
Find out how to salvage plants, when to cut back damaged branches, when to mulch and more
With the first day of spring approaching, many of us are eager to jump into the new season. There may still be snow on the ground where you live — in which case, save this list for later — but gardeners in many areas can get started now with post-winter cleanup and getting gardens ready for spring. Read on to see how to salvage plants, when to cut back to encourage new growth and a surprising reason why you should wait to mulch beds.
2. Assess Plant Health
One of the first steps for post-winter cleanup is determining which plants survived the winter and which ones didn’t or came out damaged. Just because a plant looks dead — dry, brittle twigs, discolored leaves or mushy stems — doesn’t necessarily mean it is.
A quick way to determine if a woody perennial or tree branch is dead is to scratch the bark with your fingernail. If the tissue is green beneath the bark, the branch is alive; if it’s hard and brown, it’s dead. Similarly, if the branch is bendy and pliable, it’s alive; if it snaps on bending to reveal a brown center, it’s dead.
One of the first steps for post-winter cleanup is determining which plants survived the winter and which ones didn’t or came out damaged. Just because a plant looks dead — dry, brittle twigs, discolored leaves or mushy stems — doesn’t necessarily mean it is.
A quick way to determine if a woody perennial or tree branch is dead is to scratch the bark with your fingernail. If the tissue is green beneath the bark, the branch is alive; if it’s hard and brown, it’s dead. Similarly, if the branch is bendy and pliable, it’s alive; if it snaps on bending to reveal a brown center, it’s dead.
3. Check for Frost Damage
Snow and frost can zap tender plants, causing stems and leaves to turn brown and plants to die if the crown suffers damage. While a frost-damaged plant may look dead, there’s a good chance its root and crown are still viable. Wait to cut back damaged stems and foliage until after the last date of frost. Until then, the dead branches can actually help insulate the plant against further cold damage.
Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How It Happens, and When and How to Prune
Snow and frost can zap tender plants, causing stems and leaves to turn brown and plants to die if the crown suffers damage. While a frost-damaged plant may look dead, there’s a good chance its root and crown are still viable. Wait to cut back damaged stems and foliage until after the last date of frost. Until then, the dead branches can actually help insulate the plant against further cold damage.
Got Frost-Damaged Plants? How It Happens, and When and How to Prune
4. Know When to Cut Back and How Much
Dead branches and stems are all fair game to cut back; the question is when to do it and to what degree. In general, wait to cut back until all risk of frost has passed, unless you’re pruning a dormant fruit tree, which can be done before then.
When cutting back damaged branches of trees and woody perennials, cut back to a few inches above the first viable bud (it will look green and fat) or down to just above the start of green, viable stems. The dead stalks of last year’s perennials and other herbaceous plants can be cut all the way to the base of the plant.
Cutting back plants can spur spring growth, so when the weather warms up, you may see cut-back plants sending up many new shoots and leaves. As mentioned, don’t cut back all of the shrubs and perennials in your yard — leave some cover and nesting materials for wild birds.
When Should You Prune Your Trees and Shrubs?
Dead branches and stems are all fair game to cut back; the question is when to do it and to what degree. In general, wait to cut back until all risk of frost has passed, unless you’re pruning a dormant fruit tree, which can be done before then.
When cutting back damaged branches of trees and woody perennials, cut back to a few inches above the first viable bud (it will look green and fat) or down to just above the start of green, viable stems. The dead stalks of last year’s perennials and other herbaceous plants can be cut all the way to the base of the plant.
Cutting back plants can spur spring growth, so when the weather warms up, you may see cut-back plants sending up many new shoots and leaves. As mentioned, don’t cut back all of the shrubs and perennials in your yard — leave some cover and nesting materials for wild birds.
When Should You Prune Your Trees and Shrubs?
5. Wait to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses
The dried blades of ornamental grasses can add much-needed interest in late-winter and early-spring gardens. You may want to wait to cut them back until April or May to retain their texture in the garden.
When you’re ready to cut them back, gather a clump of grass in one hand and, with the other, use sharp pruning shears to trim down to a 6- to 8-inch clump. Most warm-season grasses will begin sending up new growth in May and June.
The dried blades of ornamental grasses can add much-needed interest in late-winter and early-spring gardens. You may want to wait to cut them back until April or May to retain their texture in the garden.
When you’re ready to cut them back, gather a clump of grass in one hand and, with the other, use sharp pruning shears to trim down to a 6- to 8-inch clump. Most warm-season grasses will begin sending up new growth in May and June.
6. Prune Fruit Trees Before Bud Break
If you haven’t tackled fruit tree pruning yet, do so now before the buds swell, producing flowers and then leaves. You can do it yourself or hire a certified arborist to do it for you. Using a sharp, sterilized pruner, cut back any dead or diseased branches first. Next, prune back for size, shape and to open the center of the tree’s crown to more sunlight.
If you haven’t tackled fruit tree pruning yet, do so now before the buds swell, producing flowers and then leaves. You can do it yourself or hire a certified arborist to do it for you. Using a sharp, sterilized pruner, cut back any dead or diseased branches first. Next, prune back for size, shape and to open the center of the tree’s crown to more sunlight.
7. Hold the Mulch
Many beneficial insects and pollinators, including the cellophane bee seen here, overwinter in dead leaves fallen on the ground or buried in the first inch of topsoil. Blanketing beds or areas under trees with a thick layer of mulch too early in spring can make it difficult for the overwintering insects to emerge.
Wait to mulch until later in spring when soil warms up. This is also a reason to keep leaf litter on the ground, rather than raking it up, and to avoid trampling soil.
Many beneficial insects and pollinators, including the cellophane bee seen here, overwinter in dead leaves fallen on the ground or buried in the first inch of topsoil. Blanketing beds or areas under trees with a thick layer of mulch too early in spring can make it difficult for the overwintering insects to emerge.
Wait to mulch until later in spring when soil warms up. This is also a reason to keep leaf litter on the ground, rather than raking it up, and to avoid trampling soil.
8. Clear Some Beds for Spring Planting
Despite the above warning, you might not want to put all of your spring gardening on hold. Identify high-impact areas — like a front bed you’d like to plant with flowers or an edible garden you’re eager to get started — and begin there. Clear dead growth from last year’s annuals and perennials and use a garden fork to loosen and aerate the soil. If the soil isn’t too wet, you can turn it over with a shovel, working in amendments and breaking up clods. Keep an eye out for any emerging bulbs and avoid working soil close by.
Despite the above warning, you might not want to put all of your spring gardening on hold. Identify high-impact areas — like a front bed you’d like to plant with flowers or an edible garden you’re eager to get started — and begin there. Clear dead growth from last year’s annuals and perennials and use a garden fork to loosen and aerate the soil. If the soil isn’t too wet, you can turn it over with a shovel, working in amendments and breaking up clods. Keep an eye out for any emerging bulbs and avoid working soil close by.
Most of all, enjoy watching plants wake up as the season turns.
Tell us: Have you spotted early signs of spring in your garden? Share your best photos in the Comments.
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Tell us: Have you spotted early signs of spring in your garden? Share your best photos in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more gardening guides
Find a landscape designer
Shop for gardening tools
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Post-winter cleanup and maintenance can often be more of an exercise in waiting and showing restraint than anything else. If you cut back damaged shrubs and perennials too early, a late freeze or snowfall can cause even more damage.
While it may be tempting to cut back all dead twigs and dried up perennial stalks, leaving some up — like those around the edges of gardens — can provide a valuable habitat for birds looking for nesting sites. Wait to work soil and turn over beds until they’re fairly dried out from winter snow or rains. Both walking on and working wet soil can cause compaction.
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