Jobs to Do in Your Garden in Spring

So, Spring has officially arrived and we are now blessed with longer days (not necessarily better weather, but one can always hope!) which provides a great opportunity to start getting much more done in the garden. This is the time for preparation and pruning, so if you or your gardener are ready to go, here’s what needs doing – and there is plenty to do!.

For TREES AND SHRUBS

If you want to plant any trees or shrubs then now is a good time and it is also the best time to feed your existing plants including your hedges and roses too. The best way to do this and to get the best results is by adding and forking-in a ‘slow-release fertiliser’ into the soil.

Now it also the time to clear up all the plants that have grown too much and are starting to look messy and out of control! Tackle this problem by cutting back the shrubs right down to their base and also keep on top of pruning all your plants as well. One very important job is to prune your roses so they can grow back much stronger. Similarly, if you have lovely hydrangeas in the garden, don’t forget to deadhead them completely otherwise you will limit any new growth.

For FLOWERS

As the season changes and the garden evolves from Winter to Spring, one of your main areas to focus on is your winter flowers. Pruning is the best way to get started, once they have finished flowering. You can prune things like early flowering Clematis as well, but make sure you only do it lightly.

You can also cut back any dead foliage from perennials and ornamental grasses to make way for lovely new growth and similarly deadhead plants such as winter pansies and daffodils in order to stop them from seeding and then just leave them to die naturally.

As you are aware, insects such as slugs always pose a threat to your plants, so make sure to keep an eye out for any that may be lurking in and around your plant beds or large containers and remove them!

You can also at this time prepare for warmer weather by moving any plants you have from the greenhouse to a cold frame/outside area in order to help them adjust to the new climate.

For FRUIT

One great part of Spring gardening is that it gives you the opportunity to prepare your fruits for the Summer and Autumn months. You will find that raspberries will particularly benefit from good preparation. By cutting the autumn-fruiting raspberry canes to the ground you will allow new canes to be stimulated, and they will be ready to fruit in late-summer/autumn. Summer-fruiting raspberry canes will only need to have their tips cut to above a bud.

Like your trees and shrubs, the fruit plants need to be fed and maintained properly. For example, blueberry plants can be fed with an ‘ericaceous’ plant fertiliser, and you can help protect the blossoms of apricots, peaches and nectarines from colder nights with a screen or horticultural fleece. You can also mulch your fruit trees and bushes (as well as rhubarb) with either well-rotted manure or garden compost – this will keep them healthy and reduce moisture loss.

For VEGETABLES

Now is the optimum time to ensure that your vegetables have all the resources they need to grow this season. This can best be achieved by digging compost, well-rotted manure or green waste into your vegetable beds and also by clearing the weeds.

April is a very popular time to sow vegetable seeds. A top gardening tip is to store bags of compost in your greenhouse at least a week before you start sowing to warm up and cover them with either cardboard or sheets of black plastic..Towards the April and once the soil has started to warm up, you can start planting seeds for potatoes, onions and shallots.

FOR GRASS

Once the weather has started to warm up in the Spring, you will notice that the grass has started to grow. This is obviously a good time to give your lawn some extra care and attention and prepare it for the rigours of Summer!

Regular maintenance is of course the best way to keep a traditional lawn looking neat and healthy and a bit of advance preparation will avoid the need for larger-scale remedies to restore it later!

Once the grass starts to grow in Spring it’s a good time to begin regular mowing as this will help to keep the lawn growing strongly and will also deter weed growth.

Most lawns will grow perfectly well on their own, however you may wish to give it a boost in March by applying a lawn fertiliser. Make sure you choose a specific Spring/Summer one and apply it in mid Spring when the lawn is very actively growing. A Spring/Summer fertiliser feed is high in nitrogen and will help boost leafy growth.

Most gardens after Winter need a bit of love and attention and now is the best time. Just clearing as much as possible and preparing the way for new growth will go a long way!

If you would like advice and information on employing a Gardener to tackle all these jobs, we would of course be happy to help.

Please contact the Eden Team on 020 80806911