Spring Garden Tasks
Updated: Mar 9
When the cool air slowly starts to turn and the day length makes a subtle shift we know that Spring is on the way! To set yourself up for a flower filled garden it all starts in early Spring. Below are a list of useful tasks to get under way if you want to make the most of your green space and have a heap of fun along the way!
Garden Clean Up - Sometimes as winter comes to a close the garden can look a bit like an old closet full of mess! It's time to get out there and rake up old leaves, prune off dead branches and tidy anything that has been battered from the winter weather. It's a good time to make sure your compost bin is set up and ready to go so you can put some of those old clippings and leaves into the new batch. It's also a great time to look at your gardens landscaping and consider if you are going to make any design changes for the coming growing year. Perhaps adding a new garden bed or some new pots for the patio? Now is the time to get that organized.
Amend your soil - A large part of having a thriving garden is having healthy soil. Soil can be too sandy, heavy and dense (clay) or lacking nutrients which all forms the base to your plants growth. Experts recommend contacting your local extension and sending in a soil sample every 3-5 years to amend with specific items. This is a great idea but if you can't see yourself going this far just adding a good layer of quality compost/organic matter and working it into the top few inches will go a long way. If you happen to have clay soil adding gypsum will help break it up as well as organic matter.
Divide/move perennials - If you have any perennials that have formed large clumps or need to be moved early Spring is the perfect time to do it. As a rule of thumb dividing and moving plants when they are not in flower is ideal. So divide Summer flowering perennials in Spring and Spring perennials in Fall.
Sow Seed - If you have some tender annuals you would like to sow for your Spring or Summer garden you can get those started now. Many flowers can handle direct sowing but some are a little more finicky and benefit from sowing in a tray and placed on a heat mat. Usually wildflower mixes are full of color and great for beginner gardeners. These happily germinate being sprinkled on freshly turned moist soil. Don't forget to thin once they really get going so they can reach their full potential.
5. Buy Small Plants - Hey ya'll buy small! If you go to Home Depot or Lowes there are so many small plugs (ie. 2" pots) you can buy in 4 or 6 packs and the thing is this is a very affordable way to fill up your garden FAST! These little annuals grow to full size over a couple of months and you will get much joy from them without breaking the bank.
6. Set up Plant Supports/Trellis - If you have any vines growing, rambling roses or any other plants that need support it's important to have this in place before they get going or you will have a whole heap of mess and snapped branches in a few months time. So to enjoy your beauties set them up early with supports before they need them.
7. Mulch - Last but most definitley not least, once your seeds are going strong get some mulch around the garden to set the garden up for the heat ahead. Mulch protects the plants from dehydration, helps retain soil nutrients from being leached by the sun and also adds another layer of organic matter which will improve soil structure over the years. I must admit I have sometimes got lazy when it comes to this last task and every time without fail I have regretted it. So - get to it kids!
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