Generally speaking, your spring cleanups should wait until we have at least five or six consecutive days when the daytime high is over 50°. That allows all the insects to have a chance to wake up. Even though we could still have several days of frost ahead of us, spring cleanups can begin!
One of the first tasks you may have to do is to cut back those tall grasses. Some people like to cut them back in the fall to prevent fluffy fronds from flying all over the neighborhood. Tall grasses give the garden lots of winter interest, so try to leave them up until spring if you can. It's time to cut back as soon as you see new growth coming up.
I've tried many methods of cutting back grasses, but most of them result in the grass flying all over the place and making a huge mess.You want to have a tool that allows you one-handed operation - that way you can hold onto the grasses with your other hand while you cut. The best tool for this job is a scythe. Very inexpensive and so effective! I think I paid $8 for this one.
All you have to do is grasp a handful of grass, and cut it off at the base.
Once you have cut all of the grass off, run your fingers briskly through the base of the plant to loosen up and remove any remaining loose plant material. You do not want to leave a lot of old grass in there to rot and attract disease.
Alternative: If you have a very large grass with thick stalks, you may want to tie the whole bundle together with twine or a bungee cord, then use a hedge trimmer to cut the whole bunch at once.
Have you started your spring cleanup yet? Let me know if this is helpful information, and what other tasks you want advice on!
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