Horticulture

Cut back dried foliage from taller ornamental grasses. Cut back to 6-8 inches, before the new tender shoots begin to emerge. Tie tops with heavy twine to facilitate the task .

Gradually remove winter mulch from roses. Fertilize near the end of the month.

Apply pre-emergent herbicide to ornamental beds now and water well to prevent weed seeds from germinating., keeping in mind that pre-emergents will kill all seeds, not just the weeds.

Prune and shape Hibiscus , Buddleia , and other shrubs that bloom on new wood. This can also be done successfully after the shrub breaks dormancy, to see where the new shoots will be growing on the branches.

Landscape

Rejuvenate overgrown shrubs that bloom on new wood, such as burning bush, abelia, privet and hydrangeas such as 'Annabelle', ' PeeWee' and 'Hills of Snow;' by cutting them back to 8 inches.

Minimize transplant shock by planting new shrubs and trees as soon as soil is thawed and before budbreak occurs. Dig hole the same depth as the root ball, but 2-5 times as wide. Apply compost over the root areas.

Avoid applying nitrogen fertilizer to newly planted shrubs and trees the first year. Instead, apply products high in phosphorus to promote root growth.

Use mower or line trimmer to rejuvenate liriope by cutting back old foliage to 2-3 inches before the new growth begins.

Fruits and Vegetables

Apply liquid lime-sulfur to peach and plum trees to control peach leaf curl and plum pocket diseases. Application timing is best before the buds begin to swell in the spring.

Prune apple and pear trees before blooming occurs. Keep the branch angles wide for maximum stability of the tree branches, and to allow for maximum fruit production.

Prune peach and nectarine trees every year, but wait until full bloom, leaving the buds that survived the winter.

Reduce disease and insect problems in the garden by rotating crop families from one location to another.   Plant cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and their relatives) in a new location than any of these crops were in last year.

Curcurbits (cucumber, squash and pumpkin), root crops (carrot, radish, beets & turnips) and the colonaceous crops (potato, tomato and eggplant) should also be rotated.

Mulch pathways between vegetable beds to help suppress weeds .

Plant potato 'eyes' now.

Plant peas outside if ground is dry enough to work. If ground is too wet, start peas indoors in peat pots or soil blocks. Set out in one or two weeks as soil begins to dry and becomes workable.

Prune blueberry bushes, bramble fruits and grapevines before they break dormancy. Clean up any litter around any bramble fruits or grapes and fertilize.

Side-dress asparagus and rhubarb with a light application of compost or well-rotted manure.

Houseplants

Repot and transplant houseplants this month. Move any pot-bound plants into pots that are 1-1/2 inches larger than the current container. Cover root system to the same depth as it was in previous pot, leaving one inch of pot rim above the soil line for easier watering.

Place transplanted pots in low-light area for several days and avoid fertilizing for several weeks until root system has gotten re-established.

Flowers

Start seed of asters, dusty miller, foxglove, hollyhock, snapdragon, periwinkle under lights.

Eco Tip

Compost piles that were allowed to freeze during the winter need to be turned thoroughly now. Add some fresh manure or soil to help restart the composting process.