Spring has definitely sprung, and for those of you who are desperate to get out into the garden and get started, here are some top tips to help you make the most of the longer days and prepare a garden to be proud of all year round.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a green-fingered expert or a complete beginner, all gardens need a thorough tidying up after the winter. Mulch your borders with compost or manure and stop any young weeds in their tracks. All your hard work will pay off when it’s time to sow seeds and start the most fun part of gardening- planting!
Definitely most people’s favorite part of gardening! After all, that hard work tidying up and removing unwanted plants, it’s time to get planting. If you didn’t manage to plant trees and shrubs during the fall, the ground should now be free from frost and therefore soft enough for you to get planting now. That way, your new plants will be fully established by the time winter hits again.
Ground frost can cause roots to lift out of the ground during cold weather. It’s important to pack them back down again during spring. This will give your plants a fighting chance of survival!
If you have any deciduous trees (those that shed their leaves in winter), make your own leaf mold by putting the fallen leaves in trash bags with a little water. Tie the tops of the bags and make a few small aeration holes in the side before storing them in a sheltered part of your garden. By summer, you’ll have nutritious leaf mold ready to pamper your plants with. It can be added to soil and potted plants. Plus it actually reduces the need for watering: no bad thing here in the desert!
Sow summer bedding plants indoors in early spring. They can then be moved outdoors in late spring/early summer, once the weather warms up and there’s little chance of frost damage.
If you planted vegetables last year, remove any old crops completely before sowing new seeds. Prepare seedbeds and fertilize your soil ready for this year’s crops, then look forward to all those delicious homegrown dinners! We hope this post has inspired you to get out in the garden and get busy. At Louie’s ACE Home Center, we have everything you need to fully embrace the joys of spring gardening, so pay us a visit today! We offer lawn care equipment from our ACE hardware rentals.
