Gardening is fun and rewarding. With spring right around the corner, it is time to get your garden ready for the peak-growing season. With a few simple preparations for your garden beds before you plant, you will have a blooming garden that will be the envy of the neighbourhood. Through concentrating on your soil and any potential pest problem, you will ensure you will have a good growing season.
Enrich the Soil Beyond Compost and Fertilizer
The soil is the number one concern for preparing your garden for spring, and there are a few items you already have that work wonders. Coffee grinds provide a potent fertilizer because they are filled with nitrogen, an essential mineral for plant growth. This is a great way to reuse your coffee grinds, and if you need more than you have, visit your local coffee shop. Another green method for soil enrichment is watering with leftover cooking water. When you cook pasta, vegetables, or potatoes, there is water left over that has nutrients that feed your soil and plants.
Weed and Clean up
Maintaining your weeding during the late winter months will ensure they do not go to seed. It is also the perfect time to clear away old plants and remove any debris from flowerbeds, ponds, or any other part of your garden. This will better maintain the soil as well as make it easier to plant in the coming spring.
Get rid of Pests
Another important part of preparing your garden for spring is preventing pests. There are many natural pesticides you can use, like oil sprays or insecticide soaps, which works on aphids, mites, beetles and more. You can also water with chamomile tea, which wards off bacteria and fungal infections that are common in the spring. Late winter and early spring is also a great time to hunt for hives and other signs of pests and get rid of anything you find before they cause problems in the spring.
Clean and Prepare Your Tools
This is also the perfect time to clean and prepare your gardening tools for the spring. Through properly maintenance, they will last longer and work better. Clean tools also prevent transferring bacteria or diseases to your plants. You can also fix any fences, gates and trellis that enclose your garden.
Through performing these easy steps for preparing your garden for spring, you will have fertile soil ready for an amazing, pest free garden. Additionally, you will not have to break your gardening budget on supplies like fertilizer and pesticides, allowing you to spend more on beautiful plants.
Grey Army
August 2013