After the cold winter months, spring is a great time to start for gardening and take care of your garden. If this year’s winter has ruined your garden, then this spring you will feel even more excited to go to the garden again. Whether you are an old gardener or a newcomer. Returning to the garden in spring will encourage new growth and color in your space. Therefore, you have to prepare your garden this spring to get the garden that you have been dreaming of. Now is the time to make new changes in your garden. It might require a lot of work, but with some planning and following these tips, you can achieve the results you want in no time.
Clean Your Garden
The first thing you should do after the winter thaw is clean your garden thoroughly. Put on your gardening gloves and start to clear out any branches, leaves, debris, and unnecessary plants. Also, clear your garden borders of any weeds and detritus that may have accumulated over the winter. Remove any dead organic matter and put it into your compost pile or bin to break down.
Preparing the Soil
Healthy soil provides your plants with the vital nutrients, water and air they need to grow well. But it can be difficult to get your garden’s soil in the right condition.
It also has to be free of any compaction or unnecessary disturbance, which can reduce the number of beneficial organisms in the soil. By preparing your soil properly, you can make sure it is ready for spring planting.
The best way to prepare soil is by adding organic matter in the form of compost and aged manure. This adds all the nutrients that your soil has lost during the previous growing season and improves the structure of the soil.
Have a Planting Plan
Spring is the time to start planting. Plan exactly and correctly what you want to plant this season. Do you want to start with a new gardening bed? Or, do you want to move perennials and shrubs elsewhere? Or, you want to plant new plants and flowers that are suitable for growing this spring? Everything you have to think about. Beautiful landscaping will make your garden this spring interesting to look at. The bottom line is that you need to have a plan for what you want to plant this spring.
Watering
Keeping your garden watered properly is one of the most important things you can do to keep your plants growing. Without it, your garden can quickly become overly dry and unhealthy.
The amount of water you apply depends on your soil type and the weather. You can also use tools like a watering wand, drip irrigation or soaker hoses to direct the water directly to the roots.
It’s a good idea to recheck the soil after you water, to make sure the water penetrated the entire root zone. If it didn’t, you can increase the watering frequency.
Pruning
Spring is a great time to prune your garden as it gives you the opportunity to clean up dead wood and remove any damaged stems. This will help plants grow and bloom more effectively.
Flowering shrubs such as azaleas, rhododendrons, magnolias and lilacs should be pruned after they finish flowering. This will prevent the shrub from removing flower buds and decreasing its ability to produce flowers.
Early-spring blooming shrubs, such as lilacs and forsythia, should be pruned in late winter or early spring after they have finished flowering. These shrubs produce their flowers on wood that was formed in the previous growing season.
Fertilizing
Every plant, whether it’s an annual or a perennial, needs certain nutrients to thrive. These are called “macronutrients” and include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
Without sufficient amounts of these chemicals, plants will become weak and stunted, producing poor color, foliage, flowers and fruit. Fertilizers can correct these deficiencies, giving your plants the extra nutrients they need to grow and bloom well.
Apply a general-purpose fertilizer that contains the three primary macronutrients in spring, typically in March or early April. Use granular or liquid fertilizers, which should be mixed two to four inches into the soil. Make a second application 6 to 8 weeks later, if needed, when active growth resumes.