Start by tidying up your garden and clearing away any debris that accumulated earlier in the year. Prune your shrubs and trees and trim your perennials.
Evaluate your soil’s texture by wetting a patch and then let it dry for a day. Take a fistful of that dirt and squeeze it. If it forms a tight ball, the soil is clay. Loose and crumbly soil is loamy, the best kind for planting season. Grainy dirt that doesn’t hold a shape is sandy. Use manure, compost, or leaf mulch to improve sandy soil. Clay soil can be heavy, so lighten it with mulch, compost, and peat.
It’s also a good idea to rake away any old mulch to give yourself a fresh canvas. While you’re at it, clean up the borders of your garden. Get rid of any debris and leaves that might remain from winter storms. Trim and prune trees and shrubs now so they have a good shape before they begin to grow.
Look around your yard for any areas of pooling water. If you have drainage problems, you can use soil and mulch on small problem areas. Larger drainage issues may call for a professional yard grading service.
Rake and remove thatch. If you plan to aerate your lawn, this is the right time to do it. You can hire a pro or use a special tool to do this work, which creates holes in the yard to more evenly distribute air, water, and nutrients to roots.
This is an ideal time for any pre-emergent herbicides that you want to apply to areas where you don’t plan to plant, such as the open spaces in perennial beds between plants.
If you have an irrigation system, inspect it now and be sure it’s in working order. Some municipalities require irrigation systems to be inspected and activated for spring by a licensed professional, so look up your local regulations.
Spring is the ideal time to plant most seeds. Whether they’re spring vegetables or flowers, plant them now to watch them bloom throughout the year. If this is your first gardening session this year, test your soil’s pH and texture before you get started.
It’s also a great time to plant larger plants, like trees, scrubs, or privacy foliage. Consider bringing in a pro to plant them for you if you don’t have the time or ability to plant them yourself.
Once you have finished planting, it’s time to add some mulch. Wood chips or shredded bark make an excellent choice. This helps keep your plants healthy while also adding a finished look to your garden. Mulch also helps retain moisture and keeps weeds under control.
