Lawns

• Take advantage of warm days to apply broadleaf weed killer to lawns.

• Apply preemergent crabgrass products in March. Do not use them if you are seeding or overseeding.

Ornamentals

• Divide perennials such as hostas, daylilies, sedums, salvias, mints, thyme and ornamental grasses. This is an easy way to enlarge your garden without purchasing more plants.

• Goundcovers serve as a low maintenance landscape. Plant groundcovers instead of grass in areas with dense shade. Examples are pachysandra, periwinkle, ajuga, liriope and sweet woodruff.

Edibles

• Henbit and chickweed can overrun a spring garden. Rake and pull these weeds by hand. Renew the mulch if needed then put down a preemergent herbicide like Preen® or Treflan® to prevent summer annual weeds from germinating.

• Consider drip irrigation for conserving water in the vegetable garden this year.

• Till the vegetable garden and incorporate lime, compost and fertilizer into the soil. These nutrients work best if they are in the root zone of the plants. Be sure the soil is dry before tilling.

• Plant cool-weather crops such as potato, kale, radish, lettuce, broccoli and cabbage.

• Wait until the last frost-free date to plant tender annuals, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and cucumbers.

• Spray peaches and plums after blooms have fallen and fruit is set. The spray should contain a fungicide such as Captan or sulfur to control brown rot, and an insecticide such as Sevin to control stink bugs, plum curculios and Oriental fruit moths. Spray peaches and plums every 10 to 14 days until a week or two before harvest.

• To prevent injury to pollinating honeybees, do not spray an insecticide when fruit trees are in bloom.