Spring is almost here! Watch out though, late freezes can occur in March and heavy frosts in April in the Texas Hill Country and Austin,Texas. March 20 is the first day of spring this year. On March 20, the Sun will cross directly over the Earth’s equator. This moment is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Equinox means “equal night.” Because the sun is positioned above the equator, day and night are about equal in length all over the world during the equinoxes.
Prune……Prune spring flowering trees after they finish blooming. Prune evergreen shrubs now. Prune deciduous spring flowering shrubs after they bloom. Prune deciduous summer flowering shrubs before they bloom. Prune evergreen flowering shrubs after they bloom.
Fertilize……Fertilize spring flowering trees when the petals fall. Use one pound of 5-10-15 fertilizer per inch of tree trunk measured 3 feet from the ground. Fertilize summer flowering and deciduous spring flowering shrubs with a 15-15-15 fertilizer. Fertilize evergreen shrubs with an acid azalea/camellia fertilizer. Use 1/2 pound per 3 feet of the shrubs height.
Pests……Watch out for worms and caterpillars eating your plants new foliage. Spray with Bacillus thurengiensis or commonly known as BT before the worms appear or right after. The worms eat the BT and die.
Mulch……Mulch existing landscape beds and trees with hardwood mulch.
Turf……Fertilize turf with a high nitrogen fertilizer as soon as the danger of frost has passed. Apply pre-emergence weed and weed grass control by the second week in March. Begin aerating and detaching your grass now before you fertilize and before the grass turns green.
So long for now.
For more information about Structure Landscapes, please email Sam Walton at sam[at] structurelandscapes [dot] com or call me at (512) 905-4267.
Thanks to Sterling Custom Homes for the invitation to be their guest blogger, Sam Walton
