Preparing Your Spring Garden

Preparing Your Spring Garden 

Although it still feels like we are in winter, now is the time to fix your tools, tend to your lawn, prune, and much more!  Before you begin planting in the spring, here is a checklist of steps you should take to prepare your garden for a successful season.

Get Your Sheds & Tools In Order

 One of the first steps to a successful gardening season is to make sure that you're prepped and ready! One of the first steps is to go through your tools and make sure that they are clean, sharpened and ready to use. One of our tips and tricks is to use a mill file to sharpen blades, and then using boiled linseed oil to remove and prevent corrosion.Make sure that your power tools and lawn mowers are in good working condition and add any gas or oil as needed. You can also take this opportunity to take an inventory of your supplies. Make sure you have enough fertilizer and soil for the upcoming season.

Check on Hardscaping

In early spring before you get ready to plant, you should focus your energy on hardscaping. This is the time to repair damaged retaining walls, level out your stepping stones, clean out your gutters, and fix fences, benches, decks, sheds, trellises, window boxes and raised beds. You can also take this time to check on the general condition of your deck and patio and make any needed repairs, as well as clean up and freshen your outdoor furniture.

Start Seeds

Did you know that you can start planting your seeds of veggies and annuals indoors 6-8 weeks before you plan to set them out? Get the first wave of planting done, particularly hardy vegetables (onions, potatoes, artichokes and some lettuces. Once the ground is a bit warmer you can start to plant your summer vegetables. Bulbs and perennials tend to be straight forward to plant, just dig, drop, done!

Prune Shrubs & Vines

Pruning is an important process to make sure that your plants stay healthy. Just like your hair, trimming off the dead ends keeps them healthy and promotes new growth! Start by pruning anything that has been broken or damaged by the winter season. Follow the general rule that flowering shrubs which bloom on new wood (this year’s growth) can be trimmed in spring. A helpful hint, when you prune your plants, add a bit of fertilizer to the soil so that the plant has the nutrients to continue to heal and grow healthy. 

Prepare Your Beds

Once the soil is workable, you can start preparing your garden beds for the springtime. The first thing you will want to do is to loosen up the hardened winter soil. Rake out any debris, and clear out any weeds that you see. Next you will want to add compost or well-seasoned manure (it has slow release nutrients and helps to suppress weeds). The final step is to fertilize any trees, shrubs, and perennials. Pro tip, don't forget to wear gardening gloves when working with any prickly plants!

Divide perennials

Just before the perennials begin to pop up, is the perfect time to divide and transplant them. In most cases, it is best to divide and move perennials in the opposite season of when they bloom.That means moving summer and fall blooming perennials in spring, and spring blooming perennials in fall. We do this because sometimes perennials tend to over crowd and can affect their blooming cycles. You can transfer extra clumps into bare spots, give them away to friends and family, or join a neighborhood gardening club! 

We hope these tips and tricks help you to prepare your springtime gardens. Have any tips we didn't mention? We would love to know them!