INDIANAPOLIS — Any hopes of Indiana's early spring took an abrupt turn back to winter for St. Patrick's Day, leaving would-be gardeners wondering how to best occupy their time in preparation for growing season.
Pat Sullivan, from Sullivan Hardware and Garden, said that early spring is a fine time to start some pruning and fertilizing.
If you have rose bushes, cut them back to about 18 inches and start fertilizing them now.
"You want to fertilize roses once a month through the last feeding...in August," Sullivan said.
As far as other blooming plants, Sullivan offers a rule of thumb: "If it blooms before June 30, you prune it after it blooms. If it's after June 30, you can prune it in the spring."
If you decide to prune trees, wait until temperatures are above freezing for 24 hours. Then, apply dormant or all-season oil spray to help control insects.
Now is also a good time to fertilize evergreens in your landscape.
Watch Sullivan's full 13Sunrise segment, where he discusses other blooming varieties, in the video player.