6 Outdoor Gardening Tips for Spring

The spring flowers and leaves are starting to bloom and the weather is warming up. It’s once again time to tend to your garden. If you have one, you probably haven’t been doing much gardening for several months, so you might be wondering where to start. Here are spring gardening tips to get things going again.

1.  Organize Your Tools

Your gardening tools have likely been sitting in the shed for some time. Check each item to see if it’s in working order. If cutting blades have become dull, sharpen them with a file mill and apply penetrating oil to address corrosion or prevent it. Purchase new fertilizer and soil products if needed.

2.  Inspect Your Garden

Harsh winter weather can be unforgiving for gardens and yards. Dead plants, fallen branches, rocks, and storm debris should be cleared before proceeding with your garden. Inspect existing plants for cold, snow, or ice damage and assess the condition of fences, walls, and other hardscaping elements. Check for skunk, rabbit, mole, chipmunk, and other animal burrows as well. Pests such as aphids, slugs, and snails should be dealt with too.

3.  Remove Weeds and Mulch

Completely remove any weeds and ensure they are gone for good. Then place them in a compost pile or burn them immediately. Living weeds can spread their seeds around and threaten your garden. Also, rake away any mulch to expose the soil, unless the mulch is well composted.

4.  Prune Trees and Shrubs

Pruning should be done before the growing season is in full swing. To start, prune out any damaged or broken plant material. Dead wood should be removed as well.

Then prune any trees or shrubs that will bloom over recent growth, first sterilizing pruners with isopropyl alcohol to avoid spreading plant disease. Don’t prune plants that bloom on old wood. For evergreens, it’s okay to shear them back if their new growth is complete.

5.  Change/Freshen Up the Soil

Replace any soil that is of poor quality. To freshen it up, you can add fertilizer, which provides nutrients for growing plants and helps those you’ve pruned to heal. The soil may have compacted under the winter frost. To get your soil ready for gardening:

• Loosen the soil by tilling or turning it to 12 to 14 inches deep.
• Mix in well-composted mulch or leaf litter.
• Test the soil’s pH and nutrient levels.
• Add a healthy compost layer to poor soil.
• Help treated soil settle by raking and watering it lightly.

6.  Set Up New Planters and Garden Beds

In addition to installing supports such as trellises and stakes, start placing and/or building your planters and garden beds. Clean out existing beds if necessary. If you’re using garden pots or window boxes, order them now to ensure you have what you need.

At Capital Deck & Stair, we provide professional planter installation for residential and commercial property owners. Our planters can house flowers, shrubbery, and small trees. Raised and below-grade planters are available, while our professionals are trained and equipped to waterproof planter foundations and structures as well.

Request a free estimate online or call (888) 508-2966 for more information.