The calendar may say late winter, but spring is around the corner and that means it’s time to gear up for gardening season. Planning and prepping your garden for spring now, will help everything go smoothly when the sun warms our yards, and the growing begins!
At Fresh Roots, we specialize in landscape design, organic gardening, edible gardens, and sustainability. You can hire us to do the work for you or learn from us and do it yourself. Either way, it’s always great to have your fingers in the soil with your green thumbs up.
Tip #1: Clean Your Gardening Tools
Who thinks of cleaning their gardening tools in the winter? We do! Before you head out to your gardens in the spring, thoroughly clean and sterilize your tools, from pruning shears to shovels. Dirt, debris, and plant sap on your gardening tools are a haven for bacteria and mold spores. Both are detrimental to a healthy, and sustainable garden.
To disinfect your tools, soak them in a solution of water and 10% bleach. After a half hour, you should be good to go. You can create a diluted solution using vinegar or an organic cleaning product, as well.
Tip #2: Get Rid Of Yard Weeds And Debris
Once you think the snow is done for the season and it is all but melted, get outside and start your outdoor spring cleanup. Remove weeds, and debris until you hit the soil. You can haul away the debris or make the most of it and add it to your compost pile. If you have wood mulch in your garden move it aside for planting and add new material as needed. Leaf mulch added in fall can be tilled into the soil or removed and composted.
Tip #3: Trim & Prune In Early Spring
Late winter and early spring are good times to get rid of wood on a tree or shrub that will hinder its growth during warmer months. That includes dead, dying, diseased, or damaged wood. Cut the twigs and branches back to where the wood looks healthy.
If you’ve got a spring-blooming shrub, leave it alone for now. Summer-bloomers like butterfly bush, Annabelle, spirea and potentilla can be trimmed during dormant months.
The best time to prune fruit trees is while they are dormant. You will want to leave sturdy branches to support the fruit, while creating space for light and air in the canopy.
Late winter and early spring are good times to cut back ornamental grasses. Trimming them down will allow the grasses to flourish during warmer growing months.
Tip #4: Plan Your Garden & List Your Preferences
When it’s cold outside, why not warm your thoughts with a vision of your summer-time garden? We believe a beautiful and sustainable garden has several elements that complement one another, just as they would in a natural ecosystem. So, let’s think out of the box.
Do you want a food forest with perennials like raspberry bushes and mushroom beds? Why not consider including edible plants mixed in with the rest of your garden? For example, try mixing leafy greens or herbs in with your flowers. Or maybe you would like to build a raised bed for your vegetables. Now is the time to start making your plans.
Tip #5: Start Thinking About Soil Testing
Like most things in life, a strong foundation is necessary for health and beauty. In the gardening world, we think of this as soil. You’ll want to ready your soil with the appropriate nutrients. The only way to really know what mother nature has given you, is to test it. You can send a soil sample to your local agriculture extension to test for nutrients and pH, or you can contact us at Fresh Roots, and we can take care of testing your soil.
Tip #6: Soil Amending
One of the best things for your garden is soil amending. Once all the debris is cleaned up and you have your garden planed out it’s time for some compost. Good organic compost is the number one amendment for the garden and it is best to add a 2 inch layer to your planting area in spring and fall. This feeds the soil and creates a healthy environment for your plants to thrive. If you do test your soil, now is the time to add any
recommended amendments to your soil. This can be done in an organic manner so be sure to dig into how each amendment can be added.
Consider Fresh Roots Your Premier Garden Resource It’s exciting to see a garden grow, especially when you include beautiful flowers, herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables. At Fresh Roots, our passion is to help individuals and communities design landscaping that looks gorgeous and puts home grown food at your family’s fingertips. Located in Waukesha, Fresh Roots provides the Greater Milwaukee area with extraordinary gardening services. Whether you are adding to your garden, or starting from scratch, we consult, design edible landscapes, plant, and maintain gardens that fit your space and budget. So don’t be a stranger. Together, let’s make things grow!
Fresh Roots Gardenscaping & Landscaping 