Beware of false Spring

Wait to prune roses, as cold temperatures will come and go before true Spring arrives.

-- Photo Adobe Stock

(By David Lott | Nebraska Extension Horticulture Educator )

 Warmer weather and longer days are starting to show up, giving so many of us hope and excitement for the new growing season. Beware of "False Spring", where the warm days can be followed by cold snaps and potential spring blizzards that will visit the region at some point in March and April. Below are some tips to consider now, and through mid-April on gardening related jobs in our very uncertain weather.

 Now is a great time to sharpen lawn mower blades and service mower engines so they are in good working order for the growing season. Do not mow bluegrass or tall fescue lawns until they have broken dormancy and are greening up for the season, usually around mid-April. Remember to keep the mower height at 3 inches for the mowing season and remove no more than 1/3 of the grass in a single mowing, leaving 2/3 of the grass intact to grow back.

 Clean and lubricate garden tools that have been in winter storage, removing rust as needed, so they are ready for the gardening season. Do not clean dead plant material and mulch out of flower beds and garden spots. This dead material may look unsightly to some, but it serves as a protective buffer for tender, emerging perennial plants that are starting to peak out from under the layers. This protective layer also serves as a winter home for many beneficial landscape insects. Leave this layer intact until mid-April in Western Nebraska.

 Wait to prune rose canes and dead landscape plant stems until mid-April. Early pruning can initiate early, tender plant growth that can be severely damaged or killed during future cold snaps. When pruning landscape plant stems back in mid-April, leave eight inches of dead stem behind for pollinating insects to use as a habitat for the next generation of native bee species as a natural "bee hotel" to improve pollinator insects in landscapes and gardens. New plant growth will "hide" these stems from view. Rose canes can be pruned back in mid-April at a 45-degree angle. Prune dead cane material back to where new growth is present.

 For questions about our False Spring, send an email to David Lott at [email protected]. 

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Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. Nebraska Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.