The growing season in Northeast Ohio is beginning and gardeners and landscapers from Summit to Stark to Portage counties are launching preliminary preparations for all things green. Whether you are a DIYer or you work with a local landscaper in Mogadore, Akron, or the surrounding area, now is the time to start your planning and cleanup.
Most of Ohio is situated in Zone 6, which designates a growing season from mid-March to Mid-November. Northeast Ohio residents know that any given year the actual growing season may be shorter, but by April, your lawn and garden cleanup should be underway to make room for blooming perennials and in anticipation of early planting. Consider the following tips for the green and growing areas throughout your yard.
Flowerbed preparation
Your bulbs, including daffodils, tulips and hyacinth are already blooming or at least sprouting. Perennials, including daylilies and hostas also are showing green shoots and you may be seeing new growth on roses, lilac bushes, forsythia, and hydrangea. Since April can be a bit unpredictable in Northeast Ohio, especially nighttime temperatures, check the forecast before trimming back renegade stems on any awakening plants, but do start sprucing up to make room spring growth.
- Rake leaves, plant debris, and old mulch from flowerbeds.
- Pull weeds and encroaching grass that have begun appearing.
- Edge flowerbeds, creating a new trench as needed to prevent grass spread.
- Cut back dead growth left from fall, including fern stalks, sedum stalks and ornamental grass.
- Add new mulch and weed prevention.
Now is a great time to envision a summer look for your flowerbeds. Map out and plant summer bulbs and split large perennials that bloom later in the summer or fall.
Your vegetable garden
The most important thing you can do to ensure a thriving vegetable garden is turn over and add to your soil as early in the spring as possible. Clear out weeds and work in a couple inches of compost as weather and dampness permit. Take advantage of dry weather to plant vegetables that do well in cooler weather.
- Any cool season and perennial vegetables can be planted at this time, including broccoli, kale, asparagus, and strawberries.
- When soil is dry enough, sow seeds for your spring vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, onions, carrots, and beets.
Lawn care
When the lowest areas of your yard are dry enough to navigate, you will want to clear your lawn of debris, stray branches and leaves, and other trash to allow for mowing. Expect to begin a regular mowing schedule by mid-April if not earlier and take the following steps to ensure a thick, green lawn.
- Identify bare spots and low spots in your lawn and fill them in with quality soil. This is the best time to spread seed in these areas to ensure maximum germination.
- Talk to your local landscaper about a good grass seed mixture for the areas you need to overseed.
- Apply crabgrass and weed prevention as well as grub prevention as needed.
If you have questions about how to make the most of your lawn and landscaping, or you are looking for a professional who can help you redesign your landscaping, install hardscaping, replant flowerbeds, or advise you on successful vegetable gardening, contact Boyle’s Nursery & Landscaping. Click here for details on all of Boyle’s landscaping services, including sodding, mulching, and bobcat work.