Landscaping Tips for April

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Gradually remove winter mulch, such as evergreen boughs from around roses, perennials and ground covers.

April is the perfect time for a walk through of your landscape, inspecting plants for wildlife damage and

taking care of any pruning. Perennials should be checked for any root upheaval from frost and stepped back in. It is also a great time to see what would be great additions to your planting beds or which areas need more attention.

Yews, junipers and boxwoods that are not sheared into formal hedges can be allowed to develop a more natural, feathery appearance. However, regular annual pruning is still necessary. Selectively head back the most vigorous branches to a side branch or bud. When the new growth appears in May, the plant will regain a lacy, soft appearance.

After the snow has melted and the ground is no longer soggy, rake your lawn to fluff-up any matted down areas and to remove any snow mold. Later in the month, follow through with spot seeding of grass seed to fill in bare spots.

Bark mulch garden pathways to suppress weeds and facilitate spring work in the garden and when flowerbeds can be worked later in the month, top-dress the beds with compost or well-rotted manure.

When temperatures are above 40° and will remain above freezing, apply dormant spray to ornamentals to control scale and other overwintering pests on problem plants from last season.

Whether working off a plan or in need of a special plant, we encourage you to plan ahead and order early. Many plants, particularly many types of trees, can only be successfully dug in spring. While we try to carry a large stock of plants throughout the season, we guarantee every size or type of plant. If a specific size or type is desired, call Johnson's Nursery to place an order. A few of the plants that are dug only in spring are: Autumn Blaze® Maple, Red Maples, Horsechestnut, Serviceberry and Birch.

Let's get Mulching!

Bark mulch is great in your landscape and planting beds for weed suppression, holding moisture, moderating soil temperature, and adding nutrients to the soil as the mulch breaks down. Johnson's Nursery has bark mulch available for pick-up, delivery, or installation. Call 262-252-4988 for more information or click here to go to our bark mulch webpage with mulch calculator.

Pruning Instruction

Regular pruning is the single best investment you can make for your landscape. When done correctly and at the right time, you enhance your landscape, improve the health of your plants, and reduce future maintenance costs. Correct pruning does not always involve shearing and, often, could be detrimental to the plant. If you have questions on any type or time of pruning, please do not hesitate to call us at 262-252-4988 and talk to one of our horticulturist. If you feel uncomfortable pruning your own landscape plants, we would be happy to send a landscape crew to assist in the maintenance of your plant and your spring and fall clean-up.