Preparing Your Garden for Spring

Monday, March 12, 2018

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The days are getting longer, the air is getting warmer, and the ugly death look of winter is on it's way out.  The discolored piles of snow and mud trampled yards are soon going to be completely gone which means it's time to start thinking of you garden plans for this year.  Here are a few things to do so that you're ready for April planting!

List, Plan, and Purchase
Make a list of what you want to grow this year based off of your needs.  If you are someone that uses vegetables on a daily basis for home cooked meals, make sure you include plenty.  If you like canning salsas then figure out what tomatoes and peppers you want to grow. 

Once you have a list you can actually map out where everything will go.  I love this part.  I don't always do it to scale but it still helps me get a really good idea of what parts of my garden beds will be taken up by which crops and what you want to put in pots.  This is also a great time to plan where your flowers and herbs will go.  I like to be strategic with mine and plant certain herbs near vegetables that attract pests because some insects don't like certain herbs. 

Purchasing is the final step to planning this year's garden.  Figure out if you want to get plants that are already started or if you want to start from seed.  Consider starting seeds indoors to get a head start before you transplant them outside.


Upgrade Your Tools
Sometimes garden tools get dingy and rusty overtime so now is the time to clean and replace any tools like shovels, rakes, and hoes.  Tools are an important part of gardening because they allow you to properly tend to your garden.  I have scissors for snipping lettuce and thick cutters for vegetables and sometimes they are rusty and old after a few years so I always make sure to invest in a new set.

Also, a very very important part is a reliable pair of garden gloves. I just got a pair of Digz Gardening Gloves which you can find at Home Depot.  These aren't just any gloves.  They allow me to grasp gardening tools and other objects while I work which is important for safety when I'm around sharp tools and blades.  And they are machine washable for easy cleaning between uses.  This basically means I can use these for years to come.  I love the adjustable wrist strap because it's important to be able to feel comfortable while you wear gloves.  And I always tell people to have fun with your hobbies and that means getting fashionably patterned gloves.  Also, these gloves are amazing because they have touchscreen technology so I can use my phone to take photos of my garden and look things up if I have a question.  The leather palm is great for gripping and the stretchable back gives me lots of comfort. I also love that my knuckles are protected.  Plus, if you have a manicure you NEED to wear gloves or else you'll never get all that dirt out from underneath your fingernails.


Dirt
Even if your garden has dirt in it already, sometimes it helps to add fresh soil in addition to what's there.  After I dig out all my dead vegetables at the end of the season I lose a lot of soil with them so I usually buy a bag or two of dirt to fill the beds back up.  It's also a great time to get a type of dirt  or soil that has extra nutrients or fertilizer in it.

Safeguarding
If you have fencing around your garden it can break down over the years so check it for holes and weak spots and make any repairs or replace it altogether. This is also a good time to invest in any pest control you may have. 








What's on your list for garden prep this year?










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