April and early May can be a tough time of year for gardeners in Pagosa Springs. Although you have enjoyed the bountiful winter, for the last month you've watched the snow melt to reveal a landscape tinted with hues of ˇ¦brown. Even with the tell tale sign of spring in a few blooming crocus it is still weeks away for garden plants to really start coming along. Spring fever has taken root and all you can do is wait patiently, right. No fear, following are a few things you can do to prepare your landscape for summer:
- Get organized! As a landscape designer I, of course, advocate landscape plans. Even if said plan is on a discarded envelope and scratched out on a whim. This is a great time to get your plans together for any garden renovations or new gardens you are planning to install this summer. Garden centers will be opening soon and usually have some sales when they first open in the spring. If you go into a garden center with a list of plants and quantity that are the right size, color, and fit the growth conditions of the area, it could save you a fortune in the long run.
- Assess Winter Damage: Due to the snowfall we had this winter lots of trees and shrubs were damaged. The damage is mainly in the form of broken limbs due to the weight of the snow. I suggest that you walk around your landscape and closely examine shrubs for broken or split limbs because some limbs may be hidden by evergreen foliage or blocked from your view. Any broken limbs you find can be pruned now. Prune limbs back below the breakage and above a bud if at all possible. A clean cut using sharp tools will heal much easier. It is important to prune these broken limbs because they are essentially open wounds just waiting for plant pathogens to have a feast.
- Cut back Perennials and Ornamental Grasses: There are many perennials that had not died back enough in the fall for cutting or, like ornamental grasses, are left up for winter interest. Through the winter this material has died and is now ready to be cut back. You should cut the dead material back to any green material that is left. The green material I speak of is usually at the base of the plant and is not present on every plant this time of year. It is best to get this done before the plant breaks dormancy and starts growing as it is hard to clean them out once this happens.
- Rake and Tidy up: Do any pine needle or leaf removal in your gardens. Later in the month don't forget to uncover your roses. It is much easier to do garden clean up now before the plants take over.
- Be Patient: It is not quite time to do any pruning on shrubs, planting, or fertilizing so please be patient. Some shrubs have hollow stems and the night time temperature could damage the tissue if they are pruned too early. The same goes for fertilizing. Fertilizer is used to stimulate or aid in growth and the freezing temperature will damage the delicate new growth the plant has produced.
* Please note that there are many different micro- climates within our area. Some places may be slightly further ahead or behind in the growing season.
Sara Thelen
Alpenglow Landscaping, LLC
(970) 731-0294
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