It's time for Spring Gardening!
We love spring gardening!
Nothing feels better than getting back into the garden after winter.
Things begin to look alive again and you can get into your spring gardening routine.
There's a lot to do!
Start Your Soil
While it may be a little early for planting—you want to avoid frost—early spring is an excellent time to get your soil ready for your garden. If you haven't been keeping compost throughout the winter, start now.
All your organic kitchen waste, lawn trimmings and dead leaves make great compost material. Once it's ready, combine it with manure or top soil to create a rich garden soil that will feed and house your new garden. Peat moss and even sand are good to add to this mixture as well. Don't forget to work on your worm farm.
Once your soil is ready start your garden plots. Work in the new soil with the existing with a rototiller or claw and shovel and build raised garden beds for plants.
Plan and Design the Garden
This is one of the best parts of spring gardening: designing. Whether you're doing a kitchen garden or flower garden write a list of plants you'd like to have and mark out where you'll put them in the garden area.
Click and Print a simple Garden Design Page where you can sketch out your garden beds and write the names of the plants you will be planing this spring.
Start to build rows and raised beds in your garden in preparation for planting. Order your seeds and begin some, like lettuces, inside. Your seed packets will have directions on when to plant them and how to start them.
Be sure your garden is in a sunny area, and plan to plant protective plants like marigolds and nasturtiums around to fend off pests. If you have already planted a garden in this area, look into crop rotation to ensure another healthy year.
Disinfect your seed pots and begin planting inside. Stake out your garden plan with string and markers. Also look into what kinds of plants grow better together, like tomatoes and carrots.
Give Attention to Your Lawn
Spring is the time to start paying attention to your lawn again.
- Rake up dead leaves and grass to allow sunlight and oxygen to new grass. This can be added to your compost!
- Reseed parts of your lawn that are bare or damaged now.
- Mow your lawn and fertilize using a nitrogen-rich mix. This will start your lawn off with lots of nutrients for growth and strength.
Have a look at your lawn mower. Sharp blades cut the grass cleaner, which is better for the grass itself.
Pruning
Before your plants really get growing it's time for pruning. Prune plants like raspberry bushes and shrubs back, and nip off dead wood and plant parts.
Remove "suckers" from roses and trees before they start to leaf out. Visit our pruning page for tips and advice.
Weeding
Spring is the best time to get on top of weeds. Pull them now, from the roots, and you'll have less trouble as the season moves on. Weeds grow very fast, but their roots are shallower in early spring, making them easier to pull.
Get on Top of Pest Control
Whatever your method, one of the most important spring gardening jobs is pest prevention. Chemical pesticides are not recommended as they end up in your food and are harmful to the environment. Instead try safe and natural pest resisters like Neem Oil. Spray fruit trees, shrubs and magnolias.
Planting flowers like marigolds, chrysanthemums and nasturtiums in the garden helps to fend away aphids and other pests that would love to have a go at your veggies.
Water Regularly
New plants will start to grow vigorously in spring. Check your plants daily to be sure they're getting enough water.
Also look into installing a rain barrel. Even a clean garbage can, or a large plastic bin work. Set it outside or under and eaves trough to catch rain that you can use during watering restrictions or drought.
Once the frost has lifted—make sure!—you're ready to plant, and also to fertilize.
Fertilizing
Fertilizers high in nitrogen and phosphorous are best for spring planting as they help feed hungry, growing plants. Weed regularly to ensure the weeds aren't stealing all the nutrients. You're now ready for another wonderful season of gardening. Just a few months more and you'll have fresh fruit and veggies for the table, and a host of lovely flowers to decorate your yard and garden. Read more on our Fertilizing page.
To keep track of what you are doing in the garden, you might like to Click and Print the free Plant Notes Printable Page.
Home of Printable Planners › Garden Planner › Spring Gardening
