Mid to late March
- Pick up sticks, branches and storm debris
- Clear leaves from beds and corners
- Cut back ornamental grasses before new growth
- Cut back last year's perennials
- Check shrubs for winter damage
- Clear drains and window wells
April
- Rake out matted grass
- Re-edge beds
- Weed before mulching
- Mulch 2 to 3 inches deep
- First feeding after April 1
- Sprinkler start-up and head check
- First mow at a high setting
- Test soil pH if your lawn looks pale
Don't prune these in spring
Spring-flowering shrubs like azaleas, lilacs and forsythia already set their flower buds last year. Prune them right after they bloom. Big-leaf hydrangeas, very common on Long Island, also bloom on old wood, so only remove dead stems and spent flowers.
Lawn tips for spring
- Don't scalp the first cut. Mow high, 3 inches or more.
- Don't seed and apply crabgrass preventer together. The preventer stops grass seed too. Big seeding jobs are better in late summer.
- Check pH. Long Island soil tends to be acidic. A simple test tells you whether the lawn needs lime.
Spring lawn care order of operations
- Clean upLeaves, sticks and debris off the lawn and out of beds.
- Rake and assessLift matted grass and look for bare or damaged spots.
- Test pHLong Island soil tends to be acidic; lime if a test says so.
- First mowHigh, once growth starts.
- Feed after April 1A light feeding to start the season.
- PatchSmall bare spots can be seeded; save big jobs for late summer.
Snow mold and winter damage
Matted, gray or pinkish patches in early spring are often snow mold, which shows up where leaves or snow sat on the lawn. Raking to lift and dry the grass usually lets it recover on its own. Removing leaves in fall is the best prevention.
Beds and shrubs
- Pull back winter mulch from crowns of perennials.
- Cut out dead or broken branches on shrubs.
- Divide crowded perennials before they leaf out fully.
- Re-cut bed edges before mulching for a crisp line.
