Late winter is the optimal time to prune your woody ornamentals, shade trees and fruit trees because they will be fully dormant

Remember, trim dead or damaged branches in order to prevent disease and help promote strong new growth. Never prune more than one third of the total branches of a tree and do not flat top the upward growth.

Clean your garden beds thoroughly, removing any dead annuals, old leaves and any other rubbish that has collected. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide to areas where you are not planting seeds to prevent weeds in the spring.

The first step for a successful garden is providing your plants with a good soil to grow in. The soil in Albuquerque is often sand or gravel and is very alkaline. Test your soil before you start preparing your planting beds. At Osuna Nursery we have a wide selection of soil testing kits that can provide you with an accurate and clear understanding of the composition of your soil.

Once you know the quality of your soil, you can begin improving it's ph, nutrients and texture.

For a basic vegetable or flower garden, most soils will need Super Phosphate to encourage blooms and fruit. This should be added in the fall or winter several months before you plan on gardening. Peat moss can be used along with mulches to help retain moisture.

Vermiculite and Perlite are soil amendments that will loosen and aerate compact sand and dirt. Organic materials, such as compost and manure will help provide nitrogen and nutrients for your plants as well. Be careful, however, when using manure as it tends to be very high in salts and should only be applied to the soil in the fall and winter to allow it enough time to sufficiently break down so it will not burn tender plants. At Osuna Nursery, we have a wide range of organic and natural soil amendments to give your garden a healthy start!