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» Prune your roses: Cut all dead wood to the ground. Remove old, weak canes along with any canes that cross, touch or rub against each other. Make 30 to 45-degree angle cuts one-quarter-inch above a live bud and prune the cane back one-half-inch into green live wood.
» Aphids begin to appear in spring and their feeding can cause leaf curl and produce sticky honeydew that attracts wasps and other insects. Lady beetles are a natural enemy. Aphids can be controlled on small trees by using a high-pressure sprayer nozzle on the end of a hose. See CSU Extension Fact Sheet #5.511 on methods of aphid control at www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05511.html
» Cool season crops such as spinach, lettuce and peas can be planted for a second time. Succession planting enables you to get a second harvest of these nutritious vegetables before our days get too hot. These vegetables prefer cool growing temperatures (60 degrees F to 80 degrees F) and are often replanted again in mid-summer for fall harvest.
» Do not remove foliage from tulips or daffodils that have finished blooming. The foliage produces carbohydrates that are stored in the bulb to produce healthy blooms next year. Most bulbs do well if moved right after blooming. They can be divided like other perennials if replanted promptly and watered.
» Check your sprinkler system now for damage or clogs and perform any needed maintenance so it is ready to activate after danger of frost is past. Our average last frost date usually falls on May 15. If the system is turned on too early, a hard freeze still is possible and burst pipes or cracked valves may result.
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