General Spring Season Tips:

• Begin feeding bulbs with liquid fertilizer as they emerge from the ground.
• Remove dead leaves from hostas.
• Prune summer-flowering shrubs in early spring before new growth, since they usually bloom from new wood.

April

• Uncover and remove winter mulch from roses, spring bulbs, and perennials.
• Divide and replant overgrown perennials.
• Till flower and vegetable garden soil and add composted cow manure, rice hulls, peat moss, or composted leaves.
• Remove rose cones.
• Plant frost-tolerant pansies and Johnny-jump-ups for early spring color.
• Plant trees and shrubs as soon as the ground is dry enough for digging; late frost and snow will not hurt newly planted trees.
• Apply fresh mulch around trees and shrubs for weed control.
• Prune hedges and summer-flowering shrubs. Check for damage and remove broken branches.
• Remove tree wrap when snow melts.
• Fertilize trees and shrubs.
• Apply crabgrass preventer to lawns.
• Fertilize spring bulbs when foliage emerges.
• Wait until the ground is frost free before removing mulch; if temperatures rise early in the season, remove part of the mulch but leave at least two to three inches.
• Till or spade the soil deeply; if desired, add a slow-release flower-garden fertilizer.
• Evergreens can be pruned at almost any time except late in the growing season

May

• Work fertilizer into vegetable and flower gardens before they are planted. 
• Fertilize roses and begin maintenance program against black spot and mildew. 
• Mulch flower gardens to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. 
• Install peony hoops. 
• Protect gardens from deer browsing. 
• Plant summer-blooming bulbs. 
• Plant Minnesota Grown annuals and geraniums after frost is no longer a danger. 
• Apply pre-emergent weed control in shrub and planting beds. 
• Remove accumulated leaves and debris from underneath evergreens and shrubs. 
• Prune forsythia, azaleas, and lilacs after they have flowered; all spring-flowering shrubs should be pruned right after flowering. 
• Begin apple-tree spray programs after blossoms drop. 
• Make sure freshly planted trees and shrubs are watered weekly, especially during dry periods. Continue to water through the season. 
• Prune mugho pines when new growth is fully grown and soft. 
• Fertilize established trees, evergreens, and shrubs. Start a fertilizer program. 
• Rake, overseed, and fertilize the lawn. Avoid applying crabgrass preventer to newly overseeded areas. Seed new lawns while nights are still cool and the weather is wet. 
• Control dandelions and creeping Charlie by applying herbicide before heads are formed.
• If spring-flowering bulbs aren’t doing well, dig up bulbs after the foliage has died and divide.