Landscaping Tasks for Late Winter and Early Spring

There’s one thing you can count on for sure about the weather in the Katy area: you can’t count on it! One day it’s 30 degrees outside and the next it’s 80. You just can’t predict what to expect, especially in February, when the yards of Katy don’t know if it’s winter or spring. You don’t want to jump the gun with your landscaping, only to have another hard freeze undo your work. But then again, you don’t want to be left behind in landscaping tasks that can prepare your lawn and garden for a beautiful spring ahead. Here’s some advice about what you should be doing now, as the growing seasons approach.

Pruning

One of the big keys to gorgeous landscaping in the months ahead is to prune now. Pruning is a regular task in maintaining your plants, and involves selectively removing certain plant parts. Some great reasons for pruning include improving the appearance and health of plants, controlling a plant’s size, training young plants, preventing property damage or personal injury, encouraging flowering and fruiting, and restoring old plants. Here are some guidelines for pruning in February:

• Trim dormant native plants and woody perennials that resemble sticks. This helps new shoots flourish later.
• Prune trees, especially the oaks that are so common in Katy landscaping. Doing this in cooler weather helps avoid diseases like oak wilt. Don’t forget to prune your crepe myrtles too.
• Tend your roses by fertilizing and pruning them to encourage strong, healthy leaves and attractive buds.

Weeding

There’s no way to put this strongly enough….WEED your landscaping now!!! If you neglect this important landscaping task, you’ll be dealing with the seeds for months and months to come. Don’t succumb to using chemicals during this time of year, because they won’t successfully do the job. Weeding needs to be done the old-fashioned way of digging them out with a shovel, getting all of their roots, and consistently watching for new sprouts and yanking them as soon as they appear. It’s also a good idea to mow the lawn regularly to help control weeds, even though you may not think your grass needs mowing.

Preparing

Any planting or transplanting of shrubs and trees should be completed very soon, before the Katy heat kicks in for good. Prepare your gardens and flower beds by testing the soil, adding fertilizer, and turning the soil. Don’t forget to take a good look at your lawn. If you notice any brown patches, treat the lawn in late February with a fungicide. This is the right time to protect your lawn from further damage and to get it in good shape for the warmer seasons ahead.

Contact C4 Landscape & Design today for all your landscaping needs.