- About Extension - Get Involved - Statewide Locations It's time
for spring cleaning in the garden February 10, 2012 CORVALLIS,
Ore. – Think of it as spring cleaning. A few chores this time of
year that will get your garden ready to bloom. Barb Fick,
horticulturist for the Oregon State University Extension
Service, recommends a few tips to help make your summer
flowerbeds healthy and beautiful. - Remove heavy winter mulch
from perennial beds after night temperatures stay above freezing
to allow sunshine to warm the soil. Leave a thin layer of mulch
in place. - Fertilize established perennials, bulbs and shrubs
with compost, bone meal or a 5-10-5 or other balanced synthetic
fertilizer. Apply fertilizer to the soil surface and then
carefully scratch fertilizer into the soil between plants. Cover
fertilized area with a thin layer of mulch. - Rake leaves and
debris knocked down by winter storms. Add leaves to the compost
pile and shred larger branches. - Divide late-spring and summer
perennials, including daylili