Fast,

mold, mildew and fungal diseases.

Mulch is an important component of a healthy garden. It retains soil moisture, suppresses weeds and helps keep soil temperatures even. But timing is crucial. Wait until it's safe to plant annuals and warm-season vegetables in your region before applying mulch. For me, that means holding off until the end of May.

Likewise, resist the urge to fertilize the lawn until mid to late spring, after it has emerged from dormancy and begins active growth. Doing so earlier is illegal in some municipalities and won't help the grass anyway. In fact, it can hurt.

Lawns that are fertilized in early spring cannot properly make use of those applied nutrients. They may start growing when they should be spending their energy on root development, which is what sustains turfgrasses and helps them survive summer droughts. That premature growth is often discolored and results in yellow spots in the lawn.

Excess fertilizer that cannot be used by a dormant or partially dormant lawn threatens the environment and groundwater as it leaches through the soil. And since it doesn't benefit the lawn, it's also a waste of money.

Cleaning up tulips and daffodils is another exercise in patience. After any spring bulb has bloomed, its leaves continue to produce energy for the following year's show. Go ahead and remove stems if you'd like, but don't clear away foliage until it has turned yellow and withered.

Finally, something you really can do now: If you're itching to get your hands dirty, it's a good time to repot houseplants. Move them into the next-size pot — no more than 2 inches wider than their current container — and give them a dose of fertilizer as the season's longer daylengths stimulate them to resume active growth.

—Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. She publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. Sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice. ___

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/ hub/gardening.