Spray fruit trees with dormant oil before they bloom and leaf out. Doing so will help smother any insect eggs or larvae that are present.
Consider installing a rain barrel. Screen covers and using collected water regularly help deter mosquitos in rain barrels. Click here to learn more about water smart landscaping.
If parsnips were planted in your vegetable garden last year, now is the time to dig them up for harvesting. If left in the garden, they will resume growing and lose their flavor.
If you missed the opportunity to prune raspberries last fall, now is a great time to catch up. Cut out weak canes, thin remaining canes and cut to the ground level all canes that bore fruit the previous year.
Plant blueberries two feet apart to make a hedge, six feet apart for individual bushes.
If garden space is at a premium, yet the idea of having fresh herbs is appealing, plant several types of herbs in a strawberry pot or several small pots and keep it in a place that is easily accessible from the kitchen.
To help keep the roots of clematis cool and prevent excessive loss of moisture, plant a low-growing perennial or shrub close to the newly planted clematis. Avoid the use of slates or slabs to shade the clematis’ roots. These are perfect hiding place for slugs, snails and other garden pests.
Plant Something Massachusetts is a project of Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, and was originally established in partnership with Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association.