Today’s (Saturday) the first full day of spring and many Iowans are getting the itch to launch into their yard work, sprucing up their lawns and starting to plant flowers, trees and other vegetation. Even though Iowa has already had a lot of unseasonably warm days in recent weeks, horticulturist and arborist John Fech says to hold off on doing any fertilizing of your grass.  “Some of the lawn services have started with that but they tend to have different products than the average homeowner uses,” Fech says, “so, probably wait another three weeks or so.”

Fech says now would be a good time to rake up last season’s dead leaves, aerate the lawn and inspect trees and shrubs.  “Pruning your fruit trees,” he says. “Take out all the crossing limbs and limbs that have broken through the winter.” Look over the shrubs, too, and use sharp shears. “The shrubs that don’t bloom much at all and the ones that bloom in the summer, those are the ones that need a good thinning out, not a haircut, but a thinning out where you take the oldest stems out and let light to the center of the shrub,” he says.

Since much of the region had very dry weather heading into winter, dormant plants could likely use a drink. Fech suggests prioritizing and picking out the plants that are most important to you, roses or shrubs, and use a soaker hose to get them primed for the spring ahead.

(Radio Iowa)