How to Prepare a Landscape for Spring in Southern States

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (0 Ratings)

Springtime is when most people wait to start installing their landscape. If you live in the south and want a beautiful landscape by springtime, you better get started in the winter. Spring into your landscape by following these steps.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Fruit and nut trees
Cool season annuals
Water
Roses
Fertilizer

Instructions

Step1

Plant cool season annuals to add color. Warm season annuals are not usually available until April or May.

Step2

Install roses, shrubs and fruit and nut trees that are adaptable to your area.

Step3

Relocate any existing plants that would be better suited in another area of your landscape.

Step4

Prune damaged growth and re-shape existing plants. This is also a good time to prune oak trees while the sap content is down.

Step5

Fertilize seasonal color flowers. Ryegrass and fescue lawns should be treated with a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Step6

Apply root stimulator to newly planted trees and shrubs, water absorbing polymers to the soil and a new layer of mulch over the entire flower bed.

Step7

Treat weeds and plant diseases with appropriate products. Contact a local nursery or garden center for a list of recommended products to treat any problems specific to your lawn.

Tips & Warnings

Fall and winter are the best times to plant. Doing so will make your spring landscape look its best.
Contact a local landscape design professional for the best suggestions for preparing your landscape for spring.
Don't prune shrubs that flower in the spring as you will be cutting off the blooms.
Make sure that the top three to six inches of soil does not dry out. You will need to water consistently during dry spells. Water the entire area, not just the trunk or stem of the plant.