28 Mar Spring Checklist to Get Your Garden Ready for the New Season!
March is the perfect time to start preparing your garden for the growing season. Whether you’re a seasoned green thumb or new to gardening, there are a few important tasks you should tackle in the early spring to ensure a successful and productive season. From propagating seeds and dividing perennials, to pruning and fertilizing, there’s a lot to do to get your garden ready for the warm months ahead.
Begin propagating your plants for the season
Whether it is vegetables for the garden, milkweed for the butterflies, or snap dragons for the planters, it is time to get those seeds started.
Plan out your garden plot for the upcoming year
If you are planning a vegetable garden, think about moving your large fruiting vegetables around from past years to get them fresh soil.
Try to visualize your garden beds from the previous year and decide if there are things you’d like to add or move.
Great time to divide and transplant your garden
As things begin to show signs of life, this is a great time to divide your perennials up and maybe move some plants to other locations.
This cooler weather plays perfectly to this as there is much less stress on the plants making the move easier than it would come summer time.
Pruning and garden clean up
This is a great time to prune your shade trees and summer blooming shrubs as it is easy to see where to make your cuts and this will give it plenty of time to heal.
For Spring blooming shrubs it’s best to wait until after we see them bloom to trim.
As you inspect your perennial and garden bed, it will be easy to see what has new life and what the winter may have killed back.
Feed till and amend the soil
A good dose of spring fertilization will be good for all your beds. This is a great time to turn over your garden as the soil is warming up, but is still relatively dry (before it becomes too saturated).
When you are tilling, be sure to add the various nutrients you may need to your area. It is much easier to do it now before the growing begins rather than wait. That is because A) it will be easier to apply and B) this will give the amendments time to break down into the soil and allow them to be readily available for the plant when needed.
Don’t forget about your lawn
Spring is the most important time to think about your lawn!
If your lawn is thinning this is a great time to reseed. This will allow the seed to germinate and the roots to take hold well before the hot season.
If your lawn is looking great from last year, then this is the time to put down crabgrass preventer. If you want to use a natural option, then look to use corn gluten products.
Fertilize!
Spring and fall are the two most important times to fertilize. This will give your lawn a head start and really promote thick lush growth. If you’re laying new seed, look for more of a phosphorus heavy fertilizer.
If you have issues with moisture control besure to top dress the seed. Our Personal favorite is Penn Mulch. This product is made of recycled paper pulp and has added nutrients to help start the seed. It does a great job helping you identify when to add water, decomposes and holds water and supplies it to the seed when needed!
Conclusion
With a little bit of planning and effort, you can turn your garden into a thriving oasis. Whether you’re starting seeds indoors, dividing and transplanting perennials, or fertilizing your lawn, now is the time to get your garden in top shape. Don’t forget to consult the experts at your local garden center for advice and guidance. With a little bit of care and attention, your garden will be flourishing in no time.