Some tips for spring to keep your lawn, flowers healthy

It has been a wonderful spring so far, with cooler weather and long-lasting flowers. On the other hand, the lawn mowing season has begun (much to my dismay at home). I prefer using a mulching mower that leaves grass clippings on the lawn. This means less work for you, and it recycles those extra nutrients back into your lawn. Regardless of which mower you choose, mow more frequently during spring because that is when the grass is growing quickly. Mulching mowers do not work well in tall, wet grass. Rake out any wet clumps of grass that remain on the lawn. Keep the blades on your mower sharpened for a better cut. A good general rule is to sharpen the blades after every eight hours of use.

Mow grass at 3 to 3½ inches in height, and often enough so that no more than one-third of the total height is cut each time. I typically make the first couple of cuts in the spring at a lower height to neaten up the lawn while growth is accelerating. Most lawns are cut too short. Maintaining lawns at a taller height promotes a strong root system and helps choke out weeds. In hot weather, short lawns can turn brown more quickly and weeds are more likely to move in.

Prune back any unshapely growth on your shrubs to improve their appearance and encourage the development of a fuller plant. Cut out any dead wood that is easier to see now.

Remove spent flowers from your tulips and daffodils if you have the time and desire to do so. I prefer to prune out the entire flowering stalk and not just the spent flower at the top. It is best to wait to cut back the bulb foliage until it turns completely yellow/brown, as the leaves continue to make sugars that are stored in the bulb for next year’s flowers. Prematurely cutting bulb foliage back will decrease the vigor of the bulbs and reduce flowering. Bulb foliage can persist for some time when the spring weather is cold, so be patient.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.