For a lot of homeowners, gardening is something that isn’t even thought about about until spring is well underway. But do you really need to wait until spring has sprung before paying attention to your garden?
We believe that when it comes to getting your garden ready for spring, preparation is key! With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to break out your tools, put on your gardening gloves and get busy outside!
There are plenty of things you can do to prepare for the upcoming months – here are just 6 of the things you could be doing right now!
Clean Up Any Mess Left From Winter
Before you do anything else in your garden, it’s essential that you take some time to clean and tidy up any mess that has occurred during the winter months. Let’s be honest, it’s probably been a while since you’ve been out there for more than 10 minutes!
This means clearing away any unwelcome leaves and branches that have made their way onto your lawn or flowerbeds.
You should also remove clumps of soil or dirt that remains on your garden tools – these should be given a good wash before being used again. After all, they are going to be used a lot in the upcoming moths!
Trim Your Hedges
Ensure that your garden is looking its best by trimming back your hedges, and tidying up trees and shrubs that might be making your garden look messy and overgrown.
Getting rid of dead branches will protect your plants, whilst tidying up your plant beds will help to encourage a more robust growth of flowers and fruit going forward.
Prepare Your Soil
Healthy soil is an important component in any successful garden; it’s how your plants take in nutrients, air and moisture. Therefore it’s essential to start preparing it for the spring as soon as possible!
Spend time breaking up the dirt so that it’s able to take in a good amount of oxygen – you can do this by turning it over regularly. Adding plant food or compost will also ensure that the soil gets a generous helping of nutrients. Finish by adding organic fertilizer and raking thoroughly.
Remember; healthy soil leads to healthy growth!
Remove Hibernating Pests
Garden pests often remain in your garden throughout the winter – you might not even realise that they are there. Although getting rid of these hibernating pests isn’t the most pleasant job, it’s definitely one of the most important ones and does need to be done early on in the year.
This involves looking out for (and removing) any slugs, snails, or aphids, which could potentially cause problems and damage your plants as they begin to grow.
Keep an eye out for pests that burrow into your compost and soil- if missed, these will have a field day with your plant roots.
Eradicate Any Lingering Weeds
Don’t let weeds become a problem in your garden – it’s essential that you keep on top of them as much as possible! This will save you a lot of time, effort and money in the long term.
By doing this before spring, you’ll eradicate them before they’ve managed to mature and take root.
After you have dug up and removed any early signs of weeds that have taken up residence, you should then take measures to ensure that they don’t grow back. You can do this by putting down a layer of cardboard onto the ground and adding a 3-inch layer of mulch. This will discourage weeds from making an unwelcome reappearance.
Carry Out General Maintenance Tasks
Identifying and fixing any general maintenance jobs in your garden is the final thing you can do to prepare your garden for spring.
You’re more likely to spend time in a garden that is aesthetically pleasing, which is why carrying out mundane jobs such as painting or cleaning can really make a difference.
This could also include finally getting around to replacing that faulty fence or gate that you’ve been putting off for a good few months. Creating a safe and secure place for your whole family to spend time in should be your number one priority.
If you are looking to replace your garden fence with one built to last, please contact ColourFence today!
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