7 Great Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Spring

Are you ready for a new growing season?

Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash

Spring is finally here. A fresh growing season is upon you. Is your garden ready?

Here are seven simple and effective techniques to prepare your garden for success.

• Rake and dispose of those matted leaves on your evergreens. If you have evergreens matted with leaves these should be blown or raked off to allow sunlight. Modest amounts of matted leaves under shrubs and evergreens can be left.
• Perform a thorough weeding. The ground is still a little soft from winter. This is the perfect time to eliminate last year’s weeds or any that have raised their heads during the cold season. Pull them before they have a chance to root or go to seed.
• Prune your summer-flowering shrubs. Now is the perfect time to prune flowers that bloom from late June through to Fall. Some examples are: rose-of-sharon, smooth hydrangea, abelia, butterfly bush, St. Johnswort, crape myrtle, and vitex.
• Fertilize your flower beds. You can fertilize your flower beds with granular fertilizer. Place around your shrubs, trees and perennials. You may perform a soil test to ascertain the perfect product for your garden.
• Divide and separate your perennials that are growing beyond their boundaries. Once divided re-plant as soon as possible and water generously. Now is the time to share extra plants with neighbors.
• Remove any winter protection. The chance of frost is diminishing with each passing day. Now is the perfect time to remove protective material like burlap wraps and barriers. If you have trees that have been in the ground for more than one year, it is time to remove any staking.
• Edge your flower beds. The end of winter is the time to begin edging your garden. Create those sharp edges to beautify and form a “lip” that will help to contain mulch that can be added to your garden once the soil becomes warmer.

Enjoy your garden !