With so many recent storms and freezing nights, it feels like spring and summer are never going to arrive. However, spring is just around the corner and when it comes to prepping your garden, it’s the perfect time to get started.
Having a luscious summer garden is a dream for many Brits, but the groundwork for this begins way before the summer months.
While spring is when most planting begins, preparing your garden needs to start now. Those working in gardening and landscaping tend to get booked up months in advance too, so whether you’re looking for tree surgeons in Chelmsford or require decking services or landscaping, identifying what work you want done and arranging it sooner rather than later is a good idea.
Here are three ways you can begin to prepare your garden ahead of spring.
Prune back trees and shrubs
Many trees and shrubs grow through spring and summer, and lose their leaves through autumn and winter. This makes late winter to early spring an ideal time to cut them back, as the plant is still dormant. Ensure you thoroughly sterilise your equipment before cutting each tree to avoid spreading any diseases and hire a professional to cut back bigger trees.
Prepare your soil for planting
Soil can become compact over winter, which makes it hard to plant seeds and for new roots to grow. Loosening up the soil with a spade improves the texture and means you’re ready to sow any seeds come spring. This is a good opportunity to add any compost and extra nutrients to the soil as needed, as it can get deep into the soil.
Get rid of any garden pests
Now is a good time to check your garden both for weeds, and any hibernating garden pests such as aphids. Getting rid of these before spring can save a lot of heartache and hard work and save crops from being ruined.
Clean your garden
Late winter is a good time to carry out any garden cleaning and maintenance jobs, as your time in spring and summer will be best spent planting and watering. Use a power washer to clean any fencing and patio of dirt and moss, clean out your greenhouse if you have one, and even paint any fencing if there is a dry, sunny day.
Assess your gardening tools
This is the perfect time for cleaning and sharpening your garden tools or assessing where you might need to buy new ones. Regularly maintaining your tools ensures they last longer and helps to get rid of bacteria which can infect your plants.
Plan your plants
If you haven’t already, now is a good time to plan what plants you want and where they should go. If you’re serious about having a luscious garden, work out which plants grow well together and when they should be planted, plan out a blueprint and make notes in your calendar of what to do, when.
While the cold weather can make it harder to want to step outside, putting in the effort now to prepare your garden will save you time and see a big payoff come spring and summer.