Here at Highlands Lawn & Landscaping Inc., in addition to masonry work, we also offer a full array of lawn and gardening services. One thing that we see every year is how weather and season have a huge impact on the timing and sequence of our work, and in particular how late spring is a very active time of year both for lawn care as well as for garden, shrub and tree maintenance. So with summer around the corner (officially starting on June 21) we are very happy to present some late spring gardening tips to you.
With over 10 years of in business we have developed a great deal experience in terms of how to best address this time of year, and as you’ll see from the below, many of the late spring gardening tips we detail below are the result of our own experiences with lawns and gardens of both our residential and commercial clients throughout Wellesley, Weston, Natick, Wayland, Holliston, Ashland and the surrounding MetroWest communities. We should mention that this list of tips and ideas is really geared towards our core audience here in Massachusetts so some of the ideas we cover might be better during other times of the year depending on where you live.
Late Spring Gardening Tips To Take Your Garden Through to Summer
Shrub Trimming: Late spring usually offers a great opportunity for shrub trimming. Here in Massachusetts, our weather pattern is such that we see very slow growth heading into early spring, but by late spring we typically see a mix of much more rainfall combined with higher temperatures that create a great opportunity for shrubs to really flourish. By late spring we are in a great time for trimming. As we head into summer generally the higher heat tends to have our shrubs grow less quickly. This makes late spring the ideal time for trimming your shrubs.
Sharp Trimmers: Many homeowners tend to let their clippers dull, or if they use electric trimmers, over time the performance of those trimmers tends to decline. We get it. Of course we are a team of professional landscapers so poorly maintained equipment is a non-starter for our team. That said using dull blades tends to lead to poor trims rather than clean cuts. These poor trims often result in only partially cut off shrub limbs which are not good for the health of your shrubs. The partially attached limbs continue to drain critical water and they also don’t provide the body of your shrubs with a good path to heal.
Dull blades are not your friend. We recommend taking the time to inspect your blades to ensure they are sharp and in good condition. One other point about regarding dull blades – they also can present a real safety hazard as typically dull blades require more trimming action and they tend to get “stuck” much more often in the shrubs during trimming. Or consider bringing in a landscaping company to help with this – the upside is they will probably do a much better job than you and it will also save you the hassle of having to invest in never trimming equipment ever few years.
Edging: Much like with your shrubs, this is also the time of year where you really start to see a much bigger need for edging. That is because the growth pattern is similar to your shrubs, aligning very much with the climate and weather. Taking the time to do additional edging during late spring provides a great return on your effort as likely we are in the “high growth” time so by addressing the edging needs now you should be in good “edging shape” for the remainder of the summer.
Pruning: By now a good deal of your early spring plantings might be starting to wilt. Take time to prune these flowers and considering adding fertilizer to these areas as flowers tend to use more nutrients than your soil can produce naturally.
Beetle Bags: Unfortunately we’ve seen a number of non-native invasive pests enter our area including a number of types of beetles. Typically late spring or early summer is when we see the bulk of these beetles flying around. A beetle bag is a very cost effective helper – these are sold at places like Home Depot for $7 or $8 dollars. We recommend having them on-hand now rather than waiting for the beetle season to arrive on your property. You’ll know when it’s time to put your beetle bags up, and over the course of a few years you should begin to see a noticeable result. Last word on this – read the instruction provided.
Other Garden Pest: Let’s face it, here in Massachusetts we are very lucky to have so many amazing animals running around in our back yard. Unfortunately as every avid gardener knows many of these animals also present a real challenge for your flowers, shrubs and vegetables. A few ideas to help manage this area might be to focus on raised flower beds, fencing and to consider a variety of topical treatments and possibly trapping. Obviously each potential solution has benefits and downsides. Also, as we’ve seen over and over again, the animals out in the wild are pretty sharp customers so if there is one “tip” we’d recommend more than any other, that would probably be to “be patient” as it might take a few different approaches before you get this one right.
In addition to animals, there is also a big lineup of insects this time of year that can each present unique challenges. We recommend staying vigilant and trying to identify and treat emerging issues as quickly as possible in order to protect the health of your garden and also to minimize potential damage. There are a variety of spray and treatments available – but we do recommend that you are mindful of the overall impact of these treatments particularly if you have kids running through your property.
Fertilizing Your Garden: Late spring also provides a nice time to add supplemental fertilizer to your garden. As we mentioned above, flowers typically use more nutrients than your soil can produce naturally so it is important to provide your garden with a sustainable environment. In some instances it might even make sense to amend your soil, although we typically recommend doing so either in late fall or in early spring.
In terms of fertilizing options, there are a number of approaches, but you’d do well to keep in mind that different plants require different approaches. With gardens with a rich variety of seasonal flowers you might be best served by going broad rather than specific. If you are not sure what exactly to do, either ask your landscaper, or head into your local nursery – they’ll be able to get you going in the right direction.
Fertilizing Your Shrubs and Trees: It is important to recognize that shrubs and trees will require different approaches than your plants. We recommend heading to your local nursery before adding fertilizer to your shrubs and trees, but generally the approach to shrub and tree fertilizer is that it is okay to add fertilizer through July BUT perhaps not after that as you want to provide your shrubs and trees with enough time to benefit from a fertilizer treatment while also having enough time to harden for winter.
In addition it is important to recognize that your shrubs and trees are competing for the same ground nutrients that your flowers and lawn are using to drive their growth. So, generally, fertilizer for your shrubs and trees is a good idea. If you notice a tree is in poor health you might want to consider getting a professional opinion before applying any fertilizer treatments in order to make sure you are actually aiding your tree.
New Plantings: Generally late spring, heading into summer is not a great time to plant fresh seeds. We are about to enter our hottest time of the year, and the direction of the sun from late June into July is also at its most extreme angle.
That said, if you have container plants you should be okay planting them, although again, be prepared for a little extra TLC as we are entering our hottest time of the year.
Regular Watering: Nothing worse than a few days of rain followed by some intense heat. Particularly at this time of year it is easy to forget to water. On the other hand setting a timer on your sprinkler can often lead to over-watering, particularly if we have just come through a rain few days. Too much water and you might start to see mold and fungus. Too little water and you’ll see your garden rapidly deteriorate.
Monitor the moisture levels of your soil on a frequent basis to ensure that your garden receives an adequate amount of water. In addition keep an eye on your garden – if you notice too many wilting flowers and leaves it is time to add more water. If you see the leaves starting to brown it might be because you are over-watering.
The best time to water your plants is in early morning. That way your plants can benefit from the water during the entire day. Of course sometimes early morning is not convenient…. So the second best time to water your plants is early evening.
In terms of a watering schedule, we recommend soaking the soil thoroughly with each watering, and watering every 3 or 4 days rather than doing a daily sprinkling.
Go Online: If you are serious about doing it yourself, heading online for additional information is a great option. If you have a specific issue such as the alkaline level of your soil (usually more of an issue for those with pine trees on their property) head over to Google and you are likely to find a few ideas. There are a ton of amazing online resources that are just a click away.
Ask A Neighbor: So much of gardening is a local tradition. While the internet is great, the truth is asking the people who actually put their hands in the same soil as you do is probably your best resource. These individuals are intimately familiar with your soil and if they are getting their hands dirty they clearly have a big passion for their garden. They will also be able to share some great gardening successes with you, saving you the time of having to make these same mistakes yourself (and yes, we’ve all been there!)
So there you have it. A number of late spring gardening tips to help keep your garden, your shrubs and your trees in great shape through the summer.
Of course if you are in our area and are looking for an extra set of hands to help get your garden in top shape, to trim your shrubs or even to do some tree clipping, we’d love to stop by and provide you with a free estimate. Our team has a ton of great experience, we are professional and Highlands Lawn & Landscape Inc. is fully insured. Feel free to call us or to contact us directly through our website.
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