By Martha Uniacke Breen Martin Slofstra
Keep an eye out for pests like aphids or snails. Snails you can pick off and pitch into the distance, but aphids need a blast of Safer鈥檚 soap (or the homemade equivalent, a couple of tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle of water). The solution works on most other everyday garden pests like lily beetles as well.
By now, spring bulb foliage should be ready to tidy up. Pull gently on yellowed tulip stalks; they should come away easily (if they don鈥檛, leave them another few days, then try again). Gather up withered daffodil and other strap-like leaves and throw them in the compost.
Add compost and repair holes in the mulch as needed. If you fertilize, follow the instructions on the package: some types require monthly applications, others biweekly or even weekly. I use a lot of compost, so I rarely need to feed my garden beyond that.