A couple of perfect spring days have convinced me that we are on the backside of winter so here I am again, telling you to get to work outside to keep your landscape looking great.
The one plant that is first on the list to get cut back is Karl Forster grass. This is a cool season grass that starts growing really early in spring. You will already see several inches of new green grass blades pushing up so get the clump cut back to an inch or two above the ground and you will have a lush green clump for the whole season.
Another plant that deserves early attention is the daylily. Last year’s dead growth will pull off easily now without damaging new growth which is already emerging. If the clump is getting large and not blooming as well as it should, now is the best time to divide it. As this type of perennial grows, the clump gets really dense, and competition for nutrients and light impedes its ability to give the best show of flowers. Dividing that mass of growth gives the same result as you had when the plant was first planted. Getting the task done now is the least disruptive to the plant ... waiting will cost the bloom cycle for this year.
A reminder NOT to trim lilacs, mock orange, weigela, bridal wreath spirea, forsythia, azaleas or rhododendron until they have finished blooming. Anything you cut off now is blooming wood. Pruning immediately after they have bloomed allows new wood to mature and set flower buds for the next season so correct pruning controls the size and also allows for uninterrupted blooming.
I am offering a pruning class through Community Education on Tuesday, April 23. The class will take place in my yard, where you will learn how to do “renewal” pruning to keep shrubs looking great indefinitely. The class will begin at 6 p.m. If you are interested in joining us, call the Luverne Community Education office at 507-283-4724 to register.