• Prepare garden soil for planting.
• Incorporate organic materials and other amendments as needs are shown by soil analysis. Prepare raised beds in areas where cold soils and poor drainage are a continuing problem.
• Place compost or well decomposed manure around perennial vegetable plants.
• Spread compost over garden and landscape areas.

Vegetables: The following vegetables can either be set out or seeded directly into your bed: broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chives, endive, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach and turnips.

Perennial Herbs: Rosemary, mint, sage, and thyme can be planted outside. Shrubs: Fertilize azaleas, rhodies and camellias with Down To Earth's Rhody and Azalea Mix.

Bulbs: Plant dahlias, gladiola and other tender bulbs. Fertilize with Down To Earth's Rose, Flower and Bulb Mix.

FERTILIZING

Fruit and Shade Trees: Fertilize around the drip line of trees where most nutrient uptake occurs.

Berries: Apply manure or compost to cane and trailing berries.

Lawns: Use a slow release nitrogen fertilizer such as Bio-Turf; let the spring rains carry the fertilizer into the soil.

PRUNING

Ornamentals: Prune ornamentals for better air circulation.

PEST MANAGEMENT

Slugs: Protect new plant growth from slugs. Use Sluggo, oyster shell, copper strips, or beer traps and hand pick at night. Clean up potential hiding places for slugs, sow bugs and millipedes.

Row Covers: Use floating row covers to keep insects such as cabbage maggots, adult flies, and carrot rust flies away from susceptible crops.

Strawberries: Spray strawberries with water using a high pressure, low volume spray jet or use an insecticidal soap to control spittlebugs and aphids.

Roses: Control rose diseases such as black spot and mildew. Remove infected leaves and spray with neem oil or All Season Horticulture and Dormant Spray.