Spring To-Do List For Your Yard and Garden

What - If Anything - Should I Be Doing in My Yard and Garden in Early Spring?

We all get that natural spring cleaning bug that creeps in when the weather starts to warm up. This is the perfect time to embrace that extra energy and take it outside! The following are a few items to put on your spring to-do list for the lawn and garden. 

General Clean Up

Early spring is a great time to get into your flower beds and clean them up. Debris from winter storms blows into our yards, so use this time to get out there and pick up wrappers, leaves, limbs, and more to clean up your lawn and beds. This is also a great time to pick up dog poop and throw it away. Do not try to compost animal feces or wrappers, but certainly add leaves and other organic matter to your compost pile. If you haven't started a compost pile, but you would like to get started, check out this article. Learn How to Compost.

Pruning Back Perennials and Grasses

Now is a good time to remove any dead leaves and stalks from perennials as well as cutting down grasses. But please be cautious to check for wildlife that may be nesting in these areas and if possible don’t disturb them. Waiting until daytime temperatures reach over 50 degrees for several days will allow many beneficial insects to emerge from their hibernation. Most of your perennials and grasses will prefer to be cut down to the ground this time of year. However, don't be too hasty to throw them in the bin! Instead, consider collecting them up and tieing them together, and keeping them near the garden and flower beds. These pruned branches and stems make great habitats for beneficial pollinators and predatory insects. When finished pruning and the temperatures are slightly warmer, add a layer of Zamzows Compost Plus for added insulation and an extra boost of nutrients. 

Now is the Time to Apply the ONE-TWO PUNCH to Your Trees and Shrubs

The Zamzows “One-Two Punch” is a combined application of Zamzows Tree & Shrub and Zamzows Thrive. Tree & Shrub is a systemic insecticide that you apply at the base of your tree. The tree then pulls the substance up the trunk, to protect your tree from boring, sucking, and chewing insects for up to 12 months! The application of Thrive helps nourish your tree and build the health of the soil that the tree is planted in. So, the One-Two Punch kills the insects while building the health of your trees and shrubs. If you have never tried using Zamzows Thrive in the past, learn more about our best-selling lawn, garden, tree, shrub, and everything else fertilizer here! When You Should Apply Zamzows Thrive To Your Plants

Feed Your Lawn

Now is the time to apply a heavy dose of Zamzows Spring and Summer Lawn Food (If you’re on the Zamzows Lawn Program, this is step one). Spring and Summer Lawn Food is one of the best naturally-based fertilizers because it contains slow-release ingredients and vital trace minerals. This grass-building formula was specifically blended for our alkaline Southern Idaho soil. Zamzows Lawn Food improves our heavy clay soil conditions with better aeration and moisture retention. With this fertilizer, you will have the peace of mind that you are not harming the environment and that you will have the greenest lawn in the neighborhood guaranteed! This all-natural fertilizer can be used on fully mature or new lawns. Follow this link to find out what makes Zamzows Spring and Summer Lawn food the perfect food for the lawns in the Treasure Valley. A Local Fertilizer For Local Lawns. And, if you want to learn more about the Zamzows Lawn Program and all the benefits you'll get when you join, head over here. Zamzows Lawn Program.

Apply Pre-Emergent

Did you battle Crabgrass or Goosegrass last year? Then you’ll want to apply Zamzows DefendZ Crabgrass Preventer this spring to prevent crabgrass from coming back this year. Crabgrass seed germinates when the soil temperature reaches about 55-60 degrees, but rather than fussing about that, just watch for the forsythias blooming in your yard and neighborhood and that’s when you apply the pre-emergent. Not sure if you had Crabgrass last year? Learn how you can identify and control Crabgrass in your lawn here. Preventing Crabgrass

Spray Your Fruit Trees With Dormant Oil.

Dormant oil is a great way to get a jump start on controlling the bugs that want to eat your fruit. Dormant oil is an organic way to reduce the population of bugs. If you need to prune your trees, take care of that first. Then spray when you're finished. Are you thinking about starting a backyard orchard? Or maybe just a few apple trees? Head over to our fruit and berry care page and download helpful guides! Zamzows Backyard Fruit Help Center. 

Spring Pond Start-Up 

For all you koi pond enthusiasts, Zamzows has everything you need to get your pond started on the right fin! You won't want to forget to clean out any debris that has fallen into your pond, check all your filter and pump fittings, clean or replace your filter media and get the pump ready. Remember that a healthy pond requires balance and lots of beneficial microbes. Microbe-Lift Spring and Summer will kick start your pond's biological activity so your pond stays clear and your koi stay healthy. For a more in-depth look at ways you can get your pond started this spring we've got you covered. Spring Pond Startup.

Looking for more info? Check out these articles. 

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Spring Lawn Prep - What is Thatch
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