Spring is just around the corner! That means it’s time to start prepping your garden for its favorite season of the year. Make sure to do these 7 things before spring arrives and your garden is sure to flourish this year!
Organize The Shed
Take a look through your shed! Keeping your shed space organized is key to making your spring gardening a cinch. Go over what tools you have and which ones you might need for your upcoming projects. Check them to make sure they are sharp and ready to be used for the season because it will make your job that much easier. Replenish your garden supplies by making sure you have fresh bags of soil and fertilizer on hand as well.
Clear Any Weeds or Debris
Spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to the inside of the house. Get your yard ready for the season by clearing out any weeds, mulch, or even debris that has built up over the past year. Remove anything that you don’t want in that space and throw the dead organic matter into your compost pile. When weeding your main concern is ensuring that it has been completely killed. After being removed from the soil, either burn your unwanted weeds or put them into a working compost pile that will allow the sun’s heat to kill any seeds waiting to germinate.
Prune Back Trees and Shrubs
Late winter or early spring is the best time to prune back any trees or shrubs. Many of them benefit from a good pruning, especially those that grow their blooms on new wood. Pruning also allows you to shape the structure of the plant before it starts any new growth. Before you start though, make sure to sterilize your pruning scissors with some isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag. This ensures that you won’t unintentionally infect the plant with any bacteria or disease it can be susceptible to.
Prep Your Soil
After the final frost has lifted and your soil has become workable again, it’s time to start prepping your garden’s soil. During the winter the soil in your garden can get compacted so you need to till or turn the soil again. Use a tiller or a sharp spade and try to work your soil about a foot deep. This is also the time that you can add any compost or fertilizer and even test the pH balance of your soil to see what nutrients it might require.
Set Up Garden Beds and Planters
Before you decide what plant varieties to add to your garden this year, it’s important to take stock of how much planter space you have. Build any new planters, garden beds, window boxes, or get yourself new pots at this point in the season. You can even try creating a helpful diagram of your garden configuration to plant out where each and every plant will be placed once you get there.
Start Early Planting
Now’s the time to get your first round of planting done! A lot of plants can be started indoors at this time of year and then transferred outdoors in the springtime. Plants like hardy vegetables, bulbs, perennials, and shrubs are ready to be planted now in the late winter. This gives them time to acclimate themselves to the changing temperatures outside.
Apply Mulch
This last step is especially important so don’t forget to apply mulch! Put a thick layer of mulch wherever it needs or rather wherever you can. This method is effective at preventing weeds from growing especially if you apply it before they can start sprouting. Even if you are planning on using an area for some of your indoor seedlings, make sure to mulch the area, or else the weeds will get there first.
