Tips On Spring Gardening Tasks

Avid gardeners spend all winter daydreaming about the first signs of Spring, as it often means they can once again return to their beloved gardening activities. Spring gardening is an event many people look forward to, but good gardeners understand getting too impatient in the garden and doing certain gardening tasks too early can be harmful to a thriving yard. However, there are a few jobs those interested in Spring gardening can dive into without worry.

Winter Cleanup: Chances are, when spring arrives your lawn will no longer be drenched with winter water, allowing you to better see what the cold winter weather left behind. It’s a great time to get out the rake and run it over the lawn to get rid of any dead growth, leftover leaves, and other winter debris. As an added bonus, when you allow more light and air to penetrate the soil, your grass will be encouraged to grow as the weather warms, making your lawn lush and green.

Re-seed Your Lawn: Spring is the ideal time to re-seed your lawn, preventing the spread of any bare or damaged areas of the grass harsh winter weather may have left. Be sure to run your rake over the re-seeding area before beginning. This ensures the seed will take to the area well. For best results, mix a small amount of soil with the grass seed before spreading it on the bare spots. Keep the area well-watered until the seeds germinate and new grass begins to show through.

Remove All Winter Protection: If you put any tree guards and other burlap winter protection items on young trees and shrubs before winter, it’s time to remove them. Be sure never to leave tree guards on throughout the summer months, as trees don’t need them during the warm weather. Sure, they can keep small rodents and rabbits from eating your trees but they won’t allow enough air to move around the base of the trunk for growth promotion.

Cut Back Dead Plants: If you have old perennial foliage you need to get rid of in the garden, be sure to use the warm weather as an opportunity to cut it back during your routine Spring gardening tasks. Ornamental grasses and other perennials will need to be prunned in this manner before they can fruitfully grow back. (Be sure to use the dead trimmings in your compost!)

Don’t Dig Too Early: While you may be tempted to start digging in your flower beds, don’t do it too early. If you damage the soil’s structure you may find it difficult to work with. A few weeks into Spring you can start digging and preparing your beds for compost or manure to prepare for planting.

These few early preparaions can make a world of difference in your yard and garden.

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