Preparing your garden for the upcoming growing season

Believe it or not, Spring is just around the corner and with that comes the fresh hope of being able to grow some wonderful plants in your garden. However, winter takes its toll on any garden and that means that you need to prepare your garden for the growing season. There can be a lot to do, so how do you prepare your garden?

Remove weeds, old plants and turn over the soil

If you grew last season, then you could have the remains of dead plants and even weeds, so now is the time to remove them completely. Along with this, you should also move dead leaves and all other debris that might have blown across the garden during the harsh winter months. Deciduous grasses should be cut back and you can even begin to work the soil. Break up large chunks of soil and keep on turning it over until it is fine and easy to work. If the soil is too wet then you should wait for it to dry out.

Clean the greenhouse

If you are fortunate enough to have a greenhouse then make sure you give it a good clean. Remove debris and all dead branches or remains of last years projects and disinfect with garden disinfectant. Make sure you give the glass a good clean inside and out and keep an eye out for pests that can hide in the frames. Wash your pots to prevent disease and give the greenhouse the time to dry out by ventilating it well.

Search for pests

Any gardener will know just how much a pain garden pests can be, so looking for them now can save you hassle in the future. Take a look at the crowns of perennial plants and look for slugs, snails and aphids. If the pots of last year have not been cleaned then that needs to be done and this is where you should look for white vine weevil larvae that can live in compost and feed off plant roots.

Give deciduous shrubs a new home

If you have deciduous shrubs that are in a bad position then now is the time to relocate them while they are dormant. This will need to be done on a calm day so the roots do not dry out but make sure to leave plenty of room around the shrub when digging it up and do your best to take as much of the root ball as you can as this will enable it to establish quickly once you replant it.

Clean your tools

Getting your tools ready is all part of the fun and it makes sure that you identify any that need replacing. Taking care of them in this way ensures that they last and it can help to prevent disease from spreading. Dirty tools can spread bacteria and fungi to new plants and if you sharpen your tools, it will ensure that they are ready to get to work in your garden.

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