5 Things You Can Do in Your Landscape Today
Early spring guidance for mid-Michigan properties
Snow melt is behind us, the ground is thawing, and daytime temps are consistently climbing above freezing. Even with cool nights, your landscape is officially transitioning out of dormancy.
This window, when it’s still cold but no longer frozen solid, is one of the most important times to set the tone for the entire season.
Here’s where to focus right now:
1. Lawn: Wake It Up, Don’t Work It Too Hard
Your lawn likely looks pale, matted, and uneven, that’s completely normal.
Right now, the goal is simple: get air and light back to the turf.
What to do:
- Lightly rake to break up matted grass and snow mold
- Remove lingering leaves and debris
- Avoid heavy foot traffic on soft, wet soil
What not to do:
- No mowing yet
- No aggressive dethatching
- No early fertilizing (soil temps are still too low)
A gentle rake now can make a big difference in how evenly your lawn greens up over the next few weeks.
2. Planting Beds: Clean First, Wait on the Rest
Beds are starting to wake up, but slowly.
What to do:
- Remove leaves and winter debris
- Cut back any perennials you didn’t get to in the fall
- Clear space around emerging crowns
What to hold off on:
- Heavy mulch work (soil is still cold and wet)
- Planting (too early for most material)
You’re creating breathing room and letting sunlight reach the soil, both critical right now.
3. Ornamental Trees & Shrubs: Inspect Before You Intervene
Freeze/thaw cycles and snow load can quietly do damage over winter.
Walk your property and look for:
- Broken, split, or hanging branches
- Salt or wind burn on evergreens
- Frost cracks on younger trees
What to do now:
- Prune out clearly damaged or dead wood
- Gently reshape anything bent under snow load
This is less about aesthetics and more about plant health and structure heading into the growing season.
4. Early Spring Pruning: Be Selective
This is a great time to prune, but only the right plants.
Safe to prune now:
- Summer-blooming shrubs (like panicle hydrangea, spirea)
- Ornamental grasses (cut back before new growth starts)
- Any dead or crossing branches
Hold off on:
- Spring-blooming shrubs (lilac, forsythia, etc.) until after they flower
Pruning now helps direct energy where you want it once growth begins.
5. Fertilizer: Timing Matters More Than Anything
It’s tempting to jump-start everything, but this is where patience pays off.
Right now:
- Soil temps are still hovering below optimal uptake levels
- Plants are just beginning to wake up, not actively growing yet
What to do:
- Start planning your lawn and plant health programs
- Watch soil temperatures (around 50–55°F is your trigger)
Applying too early doesn’t help and often wastes product.
The Big Picture
This moment in the season is all about resetting your landscape after winter, not pushing it forward too fast.
Think of it this way:
- Clean → Inspect → Prepare → Then grow
A little thoughtful attention now leads to:
- More even lawn green-up
- Healthier plant growth
- Fewer issues to fix later
And in mid-Michigan, where spring can turn quickly, being ready is everything.
We’re here to help!
Working in your yard is one of the best ways to reconnect with your landscape this time of year. But if you’re unsure about what to do, or when to do it, we’re here to help. Whether it’s knowing what to prune (and how much), choosing the right fertilizer at the right time, or figuring out how to handle winter burn on evergreens or broken branches on ornamental trees, our team is always happy to step in. If you enjoy doing most of the work yourself, that’s great, we can simply step in where needed. Or, if you’d rather hand it off, we can take care of everything. With over 60 years of experience, we know what it takes to keep Mid-Michigan landscapes looking their best.
Give us a call at 989-835-8260 or click here and get your landscape ready to move forward into warmer weather.