Top 5 Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Spring
Spring officially ‘springs’ on Monday 20th March, and there's no better time to prepare your garden for the sunny months ahead. We have some excellent tricks to help you spruce-up your garden for minimal cost and high impact. It’s time to clean up your garden tools and get out in the fresh air.. If you're still not ready to get outside take a look at our blog Preparing Your Home For Spring, full of advice for both home and garden alike.
1. Prepare your garden soil
At this time of year your soil is likely to be in poor condition. Many of its nutrients have been washed away in the wet weather, not ideal for nurturing your plants as they grow. Remove any weeds and their roots, give the soil a good dig, and add an organic matter such as compost or aged manure to prepare soil for planting.
2. Give your lawn some love
Run a rake over your lawn to remove any dead growths and winter debris. Exposing your lawn to the spring sunlight will help it to grow again. Bare patches of lawn can be treated by re-raking the area firmly before applying grass seed. It is a great idea to mix your grass seed with soil prior to covering the area, this will help it grow quicker. Once applied, be sure to water frequently until the seeds germinate and new grass is well established.
3. Clear drainage ditches
Clear drainage areas of any leaves and debris which may have gathered over the winter months. Drainage is essential for your spring seedlings which perform best in soil which drains well. Don’t forget to put any debris cleared (usually dead leaves and small branches) into your compost to help maintain a carbon-rich supply of nutrients.
4. Repair your raised beds, trellises and fencing
The damp, soggy winter months can put a lot of strain on wooden garden equipment and furniture; now is the perfect time to fix rotten and ‘leaning’ wooden stakes and panels. Trellises and fencing are easier to repair in early spring when there is less growth to work around and fewer growing plants to disturb. If you need to replace fence posts, this is probably best left until the springtime showers have tailed-off and the ground has dried out a little.
5. Get weeding!
Appearing weeds are increasingly easier to remove at this stage as their roots are shallow. Popping an anti-weed growth cover or mulch over the ground will help prevent regrowth, making things considerably easier to manage over the summer months.
It is important that you begin your garden spring clean as soon as the weather begins to turn. This will prevent any damage to your bulbs and plants as they begin to emerge. The sooner you clear out your beds, the less chance you have of stepping on any growing plants.
Preparing your garden for spring can be an incredibly physical job. Depending upon the size and scope of the project it may be worth calling in the professionals. Local gardeners and landscapers can offer expert help and support in getting your garden up to scratch. You can find a list of locally approved gardeners on the Quick Find website which covers West Midlands, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.