Spring is right around the corner and while it’s tempting to wait for temperatures to warm up before getting your hands dirty, the important work in your garden starts much sooner.
Get Your Shed In Order
Take inventory of your tools. Sharpen blades, oil hinges, and consider expanding or upgrading your collection.You can use a mill file to sharpen blades, then add penetrating oil to remove and prevent corrosion. This will make your life easier throughout the whole season with tools that work as needed.
Purchase and Start Seeds
Buying your seeds before spring will give you more time to plan. Every seed has different germination requirements to be aware of, so planning well in advance ensures they each get what they need. Some need to be started indoors while others will need to be directly seeded.
Clean Out Your Garden Beds
It’s likely your garden beds are filled up with fallen leaves, debris, and weeds after fall and winter. Once the weather is warmed up, clean them out to make way for the new. Remove any dead organic matter and living weeds, which will compete with your garden plants.
Prepare Your Soil
Once the frost has lifted and the soil is workable, start preparing your garden beds. In winter, soil tends to become compacted, so the first thing you want to do is loosen it back up by tilling or turning it. You can use a tiller or a sharp spade to work the soil to a depth of 12 to 14 inches.
Set Up Planters and Garden Beds
Before you get too ahead of yourself, it’s important to plot out your plan. Build garden beds, install shepherds hooks or window boxes, and order new pots to ensure that you have enough space to showcase everything that you purchased.
Divide Perennials
Some perennials crowd each other out, causing deterioration year over year. If you have noticed this in your garden, consider dividing them before spring. Use a spading fork to lift these plants out of the ground, which will help loosen the root ball. Cut three to four sections off the plant and place it back in the ground.
Apply Mulch
Last but not least, apply a thick layer of mulch wherever you can. Mulch helps prevent weeds. When choosing it for your garden, look for ground mulch as it is better in nutrients and also breaks down well.
Now you’re ready for a beautiful blossoming garden in spring! And Eaton Brothers has the tools, twine and soaker hoses to keep it growing strong all season long.
