Expert Interview with Dave Reed

Pointers on Spring Garden Maintenance from Dave Reed

Always busy, Dave Reed, Vice-President of the Landscape Department at Meadows Farms Nurseries in Virginia gets even busier in spring. We caught him on the fly to ask his advice about what kind of landscape maintenance homeowners should do in early spring.

WH&G: What’s the first maintenance chore homeowners should accomplish in spring?

If they haven’t already cleaned up the garden, the first couple of warm weekends in spring are a good time to do so.

WH&G: When should people get garden ponds ready for the new season?

April is a good time to maintain a garden pond. In late March through the first couple of weeks in April the water in the pond is just starting to warm up. Wait until the water is warm enough so it isn’t miserable, but do the cleanup before the plants start to grow to avoid injuring the new green shoots. And be very careful with fish. Make sure that the fish do not experience extreme changes in temperature that could kill them.

WH&G: Is early spring a good time to mulch beds?

Quite often at this time garden centers and charities are holding mulch sales. If you mulch, do it before the perennials come up in April. People with existing planting beds shouldn’t need to add too much mulch—an inch or two as a top dressing won’t hurt anything.

It would be remiss not to caution about applying mulch against tree trunks. Mulch contacting tree bark invites root damage, pests and rot and can kill even a mature tree. It’s a problem we see too often. We instruct our crews, ‘when you see those things, fix them!’

Photos courtesy of Meadows Farms Nurseries

WH&G: Which plants can be put into the garden first?

Perennials and annuals can be planted starting in mid-April. The first two weeks of April can be a bit premature. Plants may have come from greenhouses or southern growers, and we can still get cold snaps in early April. The safest time to plant perennials is May 1, but April 15 is late enough.

April is the month for planting evergreens; it’s still cool and damp enough. Sometimes the temperature can spike in May. If there’s a sudden hot spell, give newly planted material water. Buy what you can plant now. The sooner plants get into the ground, the better. Plants are always better off in the ground than on your driveway.

“If you mulch, do it before the perennials come up in April.”