This Weekend's Yard Work

Plenty of people are wondering what kind of work they can do in their yards during the upcoming weekend. Tree Trust's Landscape Services Department has a few tips.

Water

There has been some rain lately, but we had a dry fall and winter. Lawns shouldn't need to be watered unless they are newly seeded or sodded. On the other hand, trees and shrubs are using immense amounts of energy at this time of year to produce new leaves and flowers and they may need water.

Check soil moisture by digging 3-6 inches deep in a few locations. If the soil is dry your trees or shrubs need water. One inch of water per week is a general guideline, but there is no substitute for digging in the soil and checking moisture content. If we are receiving steady rain, there is no need to water.

Bed Maintenance

Clean out planting beds! Remove leaves or debris around plants and cut back any spent perennial plant material left from last season to make room for new growth.

Mulch

Feel free to mulch trees and shrubs. At Tree Trust we prefer shredded mulch over wood chips. When mulching, remember: doughnuts, not volcanoes! The mulch should be a doughnut shape around the trunk and should not touch the trunk.

Plant
Plant trees and shrubs, but steer clear of other plants that have lower frost resistance. Learn how to plant your tree correctly.
 
Don't Prune!
Now is not the time to do any formative pruning of trees or shrubs. Trees are using tons of energy to produce new leaves and flowers. You don't want to divert the energy being used to leaf and flower to healing a pruning wound – unless it needs to be done due to storm damage.

Particularly avoid pruning oak, ash, and elm trees because of oak wilt, emerald ash borer, and Dutch elm disease. When a tree is healing a wound from pruning, it puts out pheromones that the elm bark beetle and the emerald ash borer are drawn to. Additionally, the tree is using a lot of energy to grow and you don't want to add to the stress level of the tree.

There is a lot that you can do to clean up your yard this weekend while enjoying the beautiful weather, just don't be too aggressive. No need to tear up the turf with raking if your yard is still spongey, and no need to plant anything that might be killed by frost. There is plenty of time yet this spring to get everything done.