Prepare Your Garden for Spring Planting with These 7 Tips

Meta: Spring is upon us, and with inflation getting the better of us, here are 7 tips that’ll get your garden ready for spring planting.

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Spring is finally here, and now is the time to roll up your sleeves and prepare your garden for planting. Whether you’re gardening to stave off the effects of inflation or you want to boost curb appeal to attract buyers, here are our favorite garden prepping tips.

1. Clean out the garden beds

To have a flourishing garden, you first need to make sure the plants have somewhere nice to grow in! Cleaning the garden beds of dead leaves, weeds, and old organic matter will give your seedlings the best chance of sprouting. We recommend digging up 2.5 to 3 inches of old soil and replacing it with fresh topsoil. 

2. Plan ahead for summer

If you’re planting flower beds and want the brilliant blooms to give your yard that “wow” factor to entice buyers, start planting summer blooms now. 

3. Clean your greenhouse (if applicable)

Gardeners who use a greenhouse to grow their goodies will want to make sure every inch of the greenhouse has been cleaned. Not only should you sweep the floors and benches, but you should also use a mild disinfectant to kill any pests or bacteria on the glass or surfaces. After using the disinfectant, make sure your greenhouse has plenty of ventilation for at least a few days before planting anything. 

4. Make sure garden tools are clean, too

Your garden beds or greenhouse may be ready for planting, but it’s a good idea to make sure your gardening tools are clean and in good condition. You don’t want to use tools that could be contaminated with bugs or bacteria that could damage your plants. 

5. Pest control is key

Hibernating pests can wreak havoc on a garden! You’ll want to remove any hibernating pests like aphids, slugs, snails, and weevils because they’ll feast on the roots of your plants like they’re at a smorgasbord! 

6. Variety is the spice of life

You can get packets of seeds at any store, but why not add some variety to your garden? Ask fellow gardeners for clippings or seeds they may have saved from last season. You can look online for heirloom seeds as well. Just be sure that you research the plants you’re interested in growing. Some plants require a lot of space to grow, while others may not. 

7. Be patient

Waiting for the fruits of your labor can be excruciating, but you can’t rush your plants. Before planting seedlings into the ground, bring them outside and let them get acclimated to being outside. Yes, it sounds odd because they’re plants and should thrive outdoors, but they still need to adjust. 

Preparing for spring is easier with pre-planning

As with anything in life, things tend to go a little smoother when you have a plan in place. Planting a garden, especially a veggie garden, requires a bit of planning and lots of patience. If you use these gardening tips to begin your spring garden, you can bet that your hard work will have paid off once you get to harvest your first crop of the season!