Early Spring planting & gardening tips

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Happy April 1st everyone! Where I live spring has officially sprung. The grass is turning green, our first flowers have bloomed, the birds are chirping and the weather is slowly moving in the warmer direction. Spring is one of my favorite times of year not only to run in but also to just watch. It’s so nice to wake up to the sun rising, go for a warm morning run and be able to witness the beautiful changing of seasons.

Since spring is here I figured it was the perfect time to share some early spring planting tips to set you off on the right foot during this new season! This is also the perfect time to start a new project because most of us are home and bored! Get off your couch and start planting! One of the tips from my blog post –20 fun things to do during self isolation or quarantine

More of my spring posts from last year

• Spring cleaning 101 – clean the right way
• Spring tidying using bins 101 -organize with style
• Tasty treats to try this spring
• Spring cleaning done right-tips tricks
• Spring has sprung diy decor
• Early spring planting tips – happy first day of spring
• Early start to spring – dont fall behind

For more spring posts visit the ‘spring’ tab at the top of my blog

Tip #1: Spring Inspection!

During one of the warmer days of the week head out to your garden and inspect any cold weather damage on your plants.

Pay close attention to:

• Cold, ice or snow damage on plants
• Beds that will need to be cleaned out
• Evidence of new inhabitants (animals) in your garden. Chipmunks are adorable but will wreak havoc on your garden once it starts blooming.
• Inspect your fences, sheds, or other appliances that are in your garden. do they need to be repainted? repaired? Or maybe you need to spruce up your colors and designs?

Gardens don’t need to be just a place to grow veggies and flowers, you can make it your second home by decorating and styling with adorable little pieces.

Tip #2: Start digging

It’s not time to start planting your new flowers/ veggies yet but instead to prepare your garden for all the wonderful colors that will be occupying this space.

Now is the perfect time to build the base of your garden. Do certain plants need to be removed? Dig them out! Weeds overtaking your fence? Cut it off! Maybe some new rocks have made their way into the garden. Dig them out! Fix your fences, benches, decks, sheds, trellises and raised beds.

Tip #3: Test your soil

Expects recommenced testing your garden soil every 3-5 years to see what nutrients and organic materials it has too much off or needs. This will help answer some of those questions like why your tomato plants keep dying or why this flower won’t grow. Or you might find that your soil is naturally alkaline and needs to add aluminum sulfate. To learn more about testing your soil you can easily purchase a kit online or visit Home Depot.

Tip #4: Lay down your garden soil

Once you’ve completed tips 1, 2 and 3 (if need be) you are ready to lay down your soil. Once you know what your garden soil needs or doesn’t need (tip #3) you can visit your local garden center about what specific products will be perfect your gardens needs. You can also do some research online to find the best soil yourself if you cannot make it into the garden pros in person.

A good tip is to topdress the soil with an inch or two of compost, hummus or manure in early spring right when your bulbs start to emerge. This is also a good time to sprinkle an organic meal plant food around your perennials and shrubs. Earthworms and other garden creatures will do the hard work of making sure these materials get deep into the soil. So be sure to thank these little fellas every chance you get. 🙂

Tip #5: Design your garden layout

Make sure you are creating a diagram so you are able to separate the different plants and veggies, perennials and annuals, and any other specifics. You don’t want to overlap plants or place seeds too close together. Creating an organized diagram of your garden layout is essential.

You can also use this layout to show where you want your fence to go, cute little spring decorations, a stone path to walk around your garden on, bird bath, flower archway, or even a little bench.

Tip #6: Add some new flowers or veggies

If you’ve been wanting to add a few new flowers or vegetables to your garden now is the time. Take a trip to your local market and pick up some seeds. Or if you’ve planned ahead use a hand full of seeds from your peppers, watermelon, or other veggies leftover from last summer. The same goes for flowers.

Pro tip: Adding signs next to each vegetable or flower in your garden is not only helpful for you but is also a neat little decoration. You can take friends and family on a tour of your garden and they can easily point out the different plants.

Tip #7: Cut back those plants

Spring is the perfect time to trim down some of those plants that have long dead brown vines and dried up flowers left over from summer. This is not only unhealthy for the plant but it’s gross to look at.

Grab a pair of pruners and chop away the dead bits, broken, and damaged pieces left over from the winter. But be sure to Google the correct way to trim each plant down because every plant is different! Certain plants do not need to be cut down as much as others. So be careful!

Tip #8: Put out any necessary supports for your plants like trellises and stakes and protect your plants against animals

Make sure all your supports are sturdy and freshly coated. If you need trellises for your roses now is the time to put them up. Now is also the time prepare your stakes for any tomato plants and peonies flowers you may be growing. This is an important step in the gardening process because tomato plants cannot support themselves and peonies also need a helping hand. Other flowers may also need a shoulder to lean on so be sure to research on the flowers you will be adding to your garden.

Pro TIP: It’s also never to early to start guarding your plants against our flour legged friends, deer. While deer are beautiful creatures they are a nightmare to plants. They will eat all your buds leaving you with a bare garden. So protect against them by purchasing animal and bug repellent for your plants. Other furry friends such as rabbits, skunk, woodchucks…..

Tip #9: Above ground planting/ hanging plants

Maybe you’re not looking to grow and manage a full garden this year but instead want a few nice pieces around your house. Right when early gardening starts you also want to begin your above ground planting.

You can grow everything your grow below ground above. Tomatoes and other veggies and all types of flowers. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the hassle of gardening in the dirt all the time.

Shop around for some cute clay pots or decorate your own. Now is the time to start so start planning your above ground adventure because you can have just as much fun as someone who gardens!

Tip #10: Be ready to take cover for freezing temperatures

One of the best parts about spring (sarcastically) is that in one day you can have 60 degrees temperatures drop down to 25, and nothing is worse for your plants. So to prepare for the very high likelihood of this happening, and it will, by preparing plant covers. These can be anything from old sheets and towels to profession gardening materials or hay. Whatever suits your boat.

Note: Hay can be a pain to pick up so this should be a last resort.

DO NOT cover tender plants with plastic sheeting or tarps! And if your bulbs have not yet emerged then there no need to cover them. But if you do want to be safe then it doesn’t hurt.

This is a general tip for plants, if you want more specifics for certain plants and how to care for them then either visit your local gardening center or Google online.

Tip #11: The most important part

And most importantly, have FUN gardening! Make the garden your own and have a blast decorating, planting, and showing it off to your friends, family and neighbors.

Note: This post is only supposed to serve you as a guide in your gardening adventures. For more specifics about certain plants be sure to reach out to your local gardening center or Google online for more help.

Thank you so much for reading today’s post. Happy Gardening!

I hope you are all safe and staying healthy.

Etsy: WithLoveFromTtoYou

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