Review and organize gardening photos to identify successful plants and gaps in bloom sequences, helping you make informed choices for the upcoming season.
Prune dormant trees and shrubs, but avoid cutting spring-blooming shrubs until after they flower; focus on summer-blooming plants before they leaf out.
Inspect plants for frost heave caused by freeze-thaw cycles and gently push them back into the ground to protect exposed roots.
Wait until temperatures are in the 50s to clean flower and perennial beds, removing debris while protecting overwintering insects in dead foliage.
Remove dead leaves from perennials but leave 15-20 inches of stems to support solitary native bees that use the stems for nesting.
Test garden soil every three years to check fertility and pH levels; use a local Extension Office kit to get recommendations for soil amendments.
Regularly add organic matter to maintain soil health, ideally in fall or early spring, to replenish nutrients depleted by heavy vegetable growth.
In late winter or early spring, divide overcrowded perennials to rejuvenate them, ensuring to replant the sections at the same depth.
Create a detailed garden plan to manage space and crop rotation, keeping records to avoid planting the same plant family in the same spot annually.