Have you been dreaming of garden greens, colorful flowers and warm, sunny weather? For those of us who are gardening enthusiasts, spring means hitting the ground running and getting out in those gardens as soon as possible. Get your garden growing by checking these 13 items off your spring gardening to-do list.
- Check House Plants- Pull your houseplants out of their pots and inspect their roots. If their roots are closely bound, it’s time to re-pot using fresh potting soil in a larger pot.
- Start Seeds Indoors – Growing plants from seed can save you money. Plus, you can gain a few extra weeks if you start them early indoors. Another options in to sprinkle seeds in moist, loosened soil outdoors.
- Plant Out Bulbs – Early spring is the perfect time to bring out daffodils, lilies, crocus, hyacinth and any other bulbs which were forced indoors in pots. They might bloom next spring or take two or three years to rebuild enough food reserve to support flowering.
- Remove Deadhead Bulbs – Remove spent blossoms from spring-flowering bulbs; let foliage die back without removing it.
- Divide Overgrown Perennials – Before perennials show signs of growth is a good time to divide them. Dig up and divide your siberian iris, aster, coreopsis, yarrow, and hostas. They’ll bloom better when they’re not crowding each other. Share extras with friends and neighbors or use them to replace the perennials that perished during the winter. You don’t need to worry about dividing peonies, bleeding hearts, baptisias, amsonias, or hellebores; these varieties do just fine on their own.
- Pull Back Winter Mulch – Remove winter mulch when plants begin to grow and the likelihood of extreme winter temperatures has passed. Keep a small amount of mulch to protect your plants in the case of a late season arctic blast. Or if it’s well composted, work it into the top layer of the bed soil and add in some leaf mold or fertilizer.
- Spread Spring Mulch – When the soil has warmed up and dried, spread a 2-inch-deep layer of mulch comprised of compost, shredded wood, or pine needles over the soil to keep weeds out of your planting beds and hold moisture on hotter days. If you mulch in the spring, you’ll have limited weeding come summer!
- Stop Weeds When Small – Weeding is an unpopular but necessary task. It’s easier to remove weeds while they’re little. Small root systems are less work to pull. Plus, if you get them before they seed, you’ll have fewer weeds later in the season.
- Go Shopping – Enjoy walking through the greenhouse and picking out flats of your favorite bedding plants! We have a variety of strong, beautiful plants for you to choose from.
- Plant Cool-Season Annuals – Most cool-season annuals, including pansies, violas, nemesia, diascia, calendula, poppy, snapdragon, and sweet alyssum, can andle a little frost. Sow seeds outdoors in beds, borders or containers and gain a few early weeks of color.
Plant Early Veggies – Hardy vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, some lettuces, artichokes, carrots, peas, radishes, spinach, and other cool-season varieties, can be planted in the spring. They’ll withstand light freezes easily, but need to be covered if the temperature drops into the low 20s. Soil is ready for gardening once it is workable, free of ice crystals and crumbles easily. For a prolonged harvest, plant several varieties, each with a different maturation date.- Get Your Potatoes Growing –Early spring is an ideal time to start spuds. Wait until temperatures have warmed up to about 45 degrees. Then, plant your potatoes about 6 inches deep and 8-10 inches apart.
- Protect Seedlings – Early spring plantings are vulnerable to hard frost. When necessary, cover seedlings overnight with a bucket, cardboard box, large flower pot, a portable garden cloche, or a cold frame. A garden greenhouse is the ideal setting for seedlings early in the season; it protects them from any unexpected spring weather.
Now your garden is ready to grow and prosper! You can enjoy basking in the beauty with dirt under your fingernails, blooming flowers out your window, and fresh produce on your table.
What items would you add to this spring check list? Have you been out in your garden yet?