After what seemed for many of us like an extra-long winter, you’re ready for those first signs of spring. Forget spring cleaning. This season, you want to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.
What better way to do that than to start or revamp your garden? With these tips, you can take gardening to the next level and turn your yard into a tropical paradise (at least until next winter).
1. Pull Out the Duds
You want buds to be blooming, and by the time the warmer weather starts showing up, you should see signs of green. If there are no signs of life, you may have some duds.
Keep in mind that annuals only bloom once a year, usually in the fall. Don’t count these beauties among the dead. They’ll leave their zombie state and be back fresh and gorgeous when it’s their time.
However, your perennials should be starting to perk up by now. Scour the garden (or garden patch-to-be) for weeds and dead plants. Pull these out and bag them up. Dead plants, leaves, and other decaying objects could have diseases on them that will infect your new growth.
2. Feed the Ground
While you’re digging for weeds, check the soil. It should be rich and full of nutrients for the healthiest plants to grow.
Signs of nutrient-dense soil in your garden include:
- Lots of underground animal activity, such as insects, worms, and fungi. These creatures go where the nutrients are, and they are beneficial to the plant cycle. Let them do their thing if they’re not overtaking your garden.
- Dark soil that falls off the roots when you pull a plant out of the ground. If it’s full of organic matter, it will be crumbly and almost black.
- A diverse root system that spreads out below the surface. It doesn’t have to be deep into the ground (some plants go wide, not deep), but it shouldn’t be easy to pull out.
There are also pH testing kits you can use if you’re not sure about the health of your soil. Chances are, it’s going to need at least a little help to get to its prime pH levels.
Instead of feeding the ground with nutrients using chemical fertilizer, consider starting a compost pile and adding your leftover cannabis trimmings. (For more ideas on how to keep those trimmings from going to waste, check out this article by Veriheal.)
3. Plant Some Perennials
We all have some favorite plants that are must-have additions to any garden. Many of these flowers are annuals, though, like tulips, petunias, geraniums, and azaleas.
If you want to include annuals in your garden, go ahead! Just remember they’re occasional bloomers, not dead plants when you do your regular weeding.
To keep your garden looking happy and fresh when it’s not covered in snow, sprinkle some perennials around those annuals. These plants will brighten the area up all year. If you choose plants that rotate cycles, you’ll always have pops of color to cheer you up from active blooms while some flowers are in their dormant periods.
4. Automate Your Watering System
Do you still water your plants by hand? It’s a great opportunity to spend time in the fresh air, but it’s not very efficient. Unless you’re thorough, some plants will be getting too much water, and others won’t get enough.
This spring, why not take the opportunity to automate your watering system? Look for automated sprinkler systems in your budget, or use regular sprinklers placed in “permanent” spots. Here’s a quick and easy instruction kit to make automatic watering systems with a few sprinklers, garden hoses, and a timer.
You’re in control of which plants are watered the most, and how many times a day or week they get drenched. When you sleep in or take a day off, you don’t have to feel guilty for skipping out on Watering Day.
Conclusion
Spring is near, and there’s nothing that shouts this season more than fresh blooming flowers in a garden.
As the wildflowers start blooming along the side of the roads, it’s time to get your yard spring-ready by working in your garden. If you start now with these tips, your garden will be full of colors and fragrances in time for you to enjoy the perfect weather.