If you can walk in your beds without compacting the soil, you can get to work. Here is a list of things to do:
1. A good clean up of debris is required especially if you had an insect or fungal problem. If you didn't have a problem in the past, then leave the small stuff to decompose in your soil.
2. Prune any shrubby material that requires clean up or resizing. Ensure you do not prune spring flowering shrubs especially if you want flowers.
3. Spray shrubby material with dormant oil and lime sulphur only if you had an insect or fungal problem last year and only if the plants are still dormant. Check the instructions as to how to apply.
4. Cut back any grasses or perennials that have been left for winter interest to about 4 inches. It is important to do this before they start sending new growth.
5. Start to slowly remove any covering over tender perennials and roses. You want to do this slowly over a period of days not to shock the well protected plants with too much sun or cold temperatures especially at night. Remember that we still can get a good frost.
6. If you can work the soil in your veggie bed, you can start by adding more organic compost to replenish the soil and then start planting the cold season crops (i.e. spinach, lettuce, onions, etc.) - check your seed packets.
7. As perennials start to emerge, it is a good time to move or divide some of them especially if they are too large. For example hostas, daylilies and grasses. A good rule to keep in mind is if the perennial blooms early in spring, lift and divide after it has finished blooming. As such it is not a good time to divide peonies and irises. Also perennials with bulbs like lilies and martagon lilies probably wouldn't like their roots being disturbed at this time.
8. Now is a good time to add organic matter to your beds as the plants have not leafed out yet. You should add organic matter each year (sometimes twice) to replenish the nutrients in the soil.
If you can accomplish these tasks in the next few days, then you are off to a good start. Enjoy getting dirty and smelling the warm, rich earth.
