1. Purchase onion sets for planting and set 1 inch deep and 4 to 5 inches apart when soil can be worked.
2. Early spring is a great time to spot spray or hand-dig dandelions. If spraying, choose a product that won’t kill grass. If digging, wait until after a rain, when soil is soft.
3. Apply horticultural oil sprays to control insect pests on fruit trees if temperature is over 40°F.
4. Fertilize all fruits mid-month except for strawberries- these are fertilized later in the season.
5. If you have dead spots in the lawn, patch them before the summer heat. Top dress bare areas with a mix of topsoil and compost, then reseed.
6. Raised beds dry out quicker in wet springs, keep soil from becoming compacted by foot traffic and make crop rotation simpler.
7. Plant dahlia tubers indoors in pots. Pinch the growing tips when they reach 6 inches to keep the plant stocky and make transplanting easier.
8. Prune ornamental grasses, sedum, hydrangea, and buddleia to a height of 6-12 inches before new growth appears.
9. Make a note of gaps in flowerbeds and fill in with spring flowering bulbs next fall.
10. Sow peas, carrots, radishes, lettuces, and spinach weather permitting. Plant seedlings of cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli but cover if frost threatens.

For more information please visit the UConn Home and Garden Education Center.