From the Ground Up: Finish spring chores before planting new plants

Many gardeners are eager to plants new plants and design new gardens, and the garden centers are bursting with beautiful plants. But don't forget there are some late spring chores that also need to be tended to in order to keep your lawns and garden looking fresh.

Now is the time to prune overgrown forsythia shrubs because they are done blooming. Lilacs are in bloom now and can be pruned right after bloom, which helps to maintain a nicely shaped bush.

The grass is now growing with all the spring rain, and you may have some dead spots due to salt or deicer winter runoff. If you have spots that need to be reseeded, rake away the dead grass, remove any other plants like weeds that have flourished and till the soil. The soil should be tilled, hoed or spaded to a depth of two to three inches. Work in a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus to help the new grass develop a strong root system. Seed the area with the appropriate grass seed or lay down sod. Remember to choose grass seed appropriate to the area as to whether it is shady or sunny and clay or sandy soil. Keep the area moist, avoid stepping on the area or mowing the grass for two to three weeks. The area may be fertilizer in six to eight weeks with a fertilizer high in nitrogen. Once these steps are taken, the area can be maintained just like your regular lawn.

Evergreens may start to show evidence of winter burn. Winter burn occurs when conifers loose water from the needles and can't replace it from the frozen soil. Winter winds also increase the possibility of winter burn on the north side of trees. In some species of conifers, winter burn may not even be evident until June and July. If the needles are dead but the bud is alive new foliage will regrow. If the buds are also dead, the tree won't recover even if all the dead foliage is trimmed away. The best prevention for winter burn is watering and mulching in the fall and applying a desiccant (to smaller trees) to prevent moisture loss.

Spring daffodils and tulips are about done blooming, but don't cut back any foliage if it's still green. The foliage is storing energy necessary to create next spring's flowers. Cutting back the green foliage will only weaken the bulbs and reduce the number of blooms for next year. You can remove the flower heads as soon as the flowers fade, but leave the foliage until it has died and turned brown. Some gardeners are bothered by the untidy foliage and tie it back with rubber bands or braid it, but this too reduces the leaf area exposed to sunlight, resulting in the manufacturing of smaller amounts of food.

• For gardening questions, call the Linn County Extension Master Gardener Hortline at (319) 447-0647.