More Spring Gardening Tips

October 16, 2018
Posted By admin

We’re just a couple of weeks out from spring and it’s time to get out into the sunshine and primp up the garden.

Last time we looked at some mulching tips for great gardening success over the next six months (including purchasing top quality Perth mulch from us here at Oakford Firewood and Mulch). Today we offer some more helpful hints and tips for early spring, for making the most of your garden…

Soil is much more workable in early spring – the ground is warming up but not yet super-dry and drought-ridden. This is the perfect time to plant spring vegetables such as lettuce, peas, and spinach, and for longer term harvesting, kale, broccoli, onions, new potatoes, and cabbage.
Remember to protect seedlings from frosts if you live in an area that still experiences it early in spring. Cover seedlings with an overturned cardboard box, flower pot or bucket.
Plant out bulbs such as lilies, daffodils, hyacinth, jonquils, freesias or crocus.
Clear and mulch perennial flower beds and divide perennials.
Prune fruit trees in early spring, before buds break into bloom (too late and the tree will become stressed).
Prune dead, damaged branches from shrubs and trees. Pruning allows better air circulation around the shrub or tree and better sunlight penetration.
Prune roses before they start to bud. Also prune spring shrubs, including azaleas.
Don’t prune spring blooming shrubs until later in the season.
Thin out the foliage on ornamental ferns and grasses; this will soon be replaced by fresh new growth.
Rake lawns to remove dead leaves and reseed bare patches. Keep it watered well and apply herbicides to combat bindies.
If your soils are acidic, apply ground lime several weeks before planting. Don’t use quick-lime as this works too quickly and can damage plants.
Top dress garden beds with mulch or compost that is not soggy.

The urge to get out into the garden in early spring, when the weather warms, is almost primal. We hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are!