Pests and Problems: Consider taking soil samples to determine fertilizer needs.
Plant seeds of cool season vegetables (peas, lettuce, radishes…) as soon as garden soil is workable.
Consider planting peas in the garden every 2-3 weeks (until early May) to extend the harvest.
If it didn’t happen in the fall, add organic matter to the vegetable garden to help build and amend the soil.
Avoid compacted soil by avoiding tilling wet or saturated garden soil.
Consider backyard composting or vermiculture (composting with worms).
If storing bulbs, check the bulb’s condition to ensure they are firm, removing any soft or rotten bulbs.
If locally available, plant bare root trees and shrubs, keeping the exposed roots moist until planted.
Remove protective trunk wrap and burlap from trees in the spring after snow has melted.
Fertilize spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodil, fritillaria and crocus.
Plant cold hardy pansies and primrose.
Click here to subscribe to the Utah Pests IPM Advisories for timely tips on controlling pests in your yard and garden.
Prune berries and fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums and apricots.
Attend a USU Extension sponsored pruning demonstration near you.
Apply Horticulture oils at bud break (delayed dormant) in fruit trees to control overwintering insect pests.
Apply pre-emergent herbicides in late March – mid April to control annual weeds in your lawn (crabgrass, spurge…).
Sharpen mower blades and prepare for the season. Set mower height to mow 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall, mow at this height entire summer.
Consider including a native fruiting species in the landscape, including chokecherry, elderberry, serviceberry or currant.
Pests and Problems:
- Download ‘Utah Home Orchard Pest Management Guide’.
- Damping off is a fungal disease that affects new seedlings.
- Aspen leaf spot may be prevalent during cool, wet springs. Control measures should occur at bud break.
- Anthracnose may be prevalent during cool, wet springs. Control measures should occur at bud break.
- Control rust mites in apple and pear trees after leaves have emerged and expanded by 1/2 inch.
- For pears, apply dormant oil when leaf buds swell. This smothers eggs of the Pear psylla that are laid on buds by overwintering adults.