Friday, February 17, 2012

Spring Gardening Tips to Spruce up Borders



I know it's not spring yet, but it'll be here before you know it, so I thought I'd share some ideas to help you get ready.

1. Spring is a great time to find out the Ph of your soil.  You can get a Ph testing kit from your local garden center.  If you know your Ph, it'll make it easier to know which plants to choose for your soil, or what additives you might need to grow the plants you desire.

2. If you haven't already done so, remove the dead growth of perennials and grasses.  I usually do this in the fall, but there are several gardeners who prefer to wait until the spring.

3. Apply a general fertilizer to prepare the soil for the planting you'll be doing.

4. Get rid of any weeds that might be starting to grow.  I know where I live, it's been a really mild winter, so I was out there weeding in January!

5.  Spring is a good time to mulch.  The soil is usually moist, so mulch will help trap that moisture and make it nice for your plants.  Be generous with your mulch.  I'd say 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep is good.

6.  If you didn't divide clumps of perennials in the fall, do it in the spring.

7. Lastly, edge your garden borders.  Make sure grass isn't growing into it, and if you're using stone borders, make sure they look neat and tidy.

 

4 comments:

  1. Love your gardening tips and looking forward to seeing and reading more. I am your newest follower. Greetings from Indiana...Heidi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for following. I appreciate your comments!

      Delete
  2. Weeding in January? I'm not sure if I'm jealous because of your warm, snow-free weather or I'm appalled because you have to pull weeds in winter! (I hate weeding. It's my least favourite part of gardening.) Love your blog, though, and thanks for the reminder about the pH test. I'm pretty sure the soil here is very acidic but I do want to check it and see how bad it is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd have to say that I wasn't thrilled about weeding in January, but it needed to be done!

      Delete