Opening of the new gardening season

After a capricious winter, the first spring flowers will soon poke their heads out of the ground, announcing the start of the gardening season, which many a hobby gardener is eagerly awaiting.

March and April are crucial for a bountiful and beautiful gardening year. We'll tell you what you can do now to ensure everything is green and blooming soon.

Fertilizing and scarifying the lawn

After winter, the lawn needs care. Feed it with a slow-release, nitrogen-based fertilizer. Mow the lawn at least twice before scarifying. One pass lengthwise and one pass crosswise is sufficient. This allows the grass roots to receive more oxygen, resulting in a denser and more resilient lawn. It's important that the lawn is dry before scarifying.

Prune roses when forsythias are in bloom

Forsythia blossoms are not only magnificent to behold, they also herald the arrival of spring. Softwood plants such as roses, butterfly bushes, and hibiscus can now be pruned. For shrub and climbing roses, only the dead wood should be removed. Cherry and walnut trees should be pruned only until summer, as the cuts heal poorly.

Important: Your plants need a "nutrient boost" after their winter dormancy. To ensure strong growth, fertilizer, ideally compost, should be applied. Evergreen ground covers such as pachysandra, ivy, lesser periwinkle, yellow barrenwort, and wild ginger will permanently suppress weeds.

Nesting time

All shrubs and trees can be planted successfully in April; evergreens and sensitive plants can be transplanted now. However, April is the time for nesting birds. To protect nesting birds, radical pruning of shrubs and trees is therefore prohibited.