Spring is here, and while you would probably be busy doing some cleaning inside the house, don’t forget that your garden needs a little bit of sprucing up as well. After all, spring is the perfect time to start a new vegetable garden, tidy up neglected areas which may need new garden edging solutions, and give your plants that once-a-year feed of fertilizer.
You don’t necessarily have to do a full makeover to freshen up your gardens; you can take a quick tour of your space to see what is needed, make a list, and plan your activities. But if you have a big garden and start feeling overwhelmed with the task, below is a spring gardening checklist you can follow to ensure that you don’t forget anything.
- Get Rid of the Weeds
One of the most rewarding and best activities you can do for your garden as a whole is to get rid of the weeds that have probably been germinating during the winter and are ready to grow actively with renewed vigour. So, the best way is to pull the weeds by hand as soon as they sprout, or you can use a hoe to sever the weeds from the roots just below the soil surface. And for persistent weeds, you can use spot herbicide treatments.
- Fertilise
If you love to nurture your gardens, you should know that spring is the best time to give your lawn and garden beds a good dose of fertiliser. Slowly released fertilizers work well in the early spring as they break down with time and filter into the soil to be absorbed and fuel growth and flowering. However, if you are still feeling your way into gardening, you can head over to any local garden supplier and give them the list of plants that you have to give you suggestions on what would best suit your needs.
- Tend to Your Lawn
You might encounter bare areas or thatch buildup in your lawn, especially in the late winter to early spring when your turf and the healthy microorganism population in your lawn might have suffered from the extreme cold. So, you can remove any buildup of thatch with a metal rake and replace any bare areas. But don’t forget to apply a slow-release fertiliser to feed your lawn. And while you are waiting for the grass to start growing vigorously, always remind others to keep away from areas that are being renovated.
- Plant All You Want
All gardeners know that spring is the most rewarding time to grow vegetables, flowering bulbs, and even trees or shrubs that have died during the winter. So remove all plants that have withered during the winter season, or you can extend your garden to make room for new plants.
Prepare for new plantings by clearing weeds and adding organic materials such as compost into the soil. You can also map out your garden by dividing spaces with different garden edging solutions to ensure that each plant has enough space to grow. Just don’t forget to consider the space needed and optimal conditions for the growth of each of the plants you are planning to add to your garden.
- Prune and Repot Your Plants
Some flowering plants that have already bloomed can be pruned to make way for fresh spring growth. And to keep flowering plants blooming for the coming months, remove dead flower heads from your plants.
Spring is also the best time to repot plants that have been in the same container for a long time. You can remove the plants from their old containers, trim the roots, and place them into their old pots. Or, you can transfer them into new and bigger pots. And whichever way you go, remember to use fresh potting mix.
- Tidy the Outdoor Area
Winter always means the accumulation of leaves and rubbish that has been blown in. So spring is the perfect time to tidy up your space in preparation for entertaining and eating outside in warmer weather.
Clean up all garden features such as ponds by removing dead stalks from pond plants and removing algae. Also, check your garden furniture if they need any maintenance work or repainting. Give your garden paths a vigorous sweep to remove accumulated leaves and rubbish, and treat mossy paths with bleach solution or herbicides.
Now that you are done with all the activities and are satisfied with the outcome of your weekend projects, you can sit back, relax and start planning for different activities you can enjoy in the warmer weather. But, just don’t forget to continue to attend to your new plantings, or all your efforts during spring gardening might go to waste.
