January is almost over, and before you know it, it’ll be the beginning of Spring, especially as February always whizzes by in a flash with only 28 days.
With spring on the horizon, you’re going to want to get your garden spring ready. Here are some quick tasks you can do, to help you and your garden.
Clear Winter Debris And Refresh Your Beds
You’re going to want to start by removing dead leaves, dead stems and fallen branches/twigs from your beds and paths.
By having a clear surface, it’ll reduce garden pests and disease, and you’ll be able to see your bulbs re-emerge through the soil, when it’s time.
Loosen up compacted soil with a garden fork, or a small tiller if you have raised beds. However, avoid deep tilling in established beds, to protect the soil’s texture.
If you have raised beds, pull back the old mulch, and check the sides and edges for settling, that may need topping up with fresh mulch.
Go around and collect up plant debris, and put them in two piles; composting or disposal. Diseased material should always go in the trash, and never your compost bin.
Turn your compost bin, to aerate it, so it’ll be ready to accept your fresh trimmings.
Test your garden’s soil with a soil testing kit. This will you the pH and nutrient needs of your soil, so you can add lime, sulphur or balanced fertilizer, if required.
Refresh your topsoil, adding 1-2 inches of finished compost, to improve the texture and fertility of your soil.
Working the compost into the top few inches gently, then firm the surface, for good seed to soil planting.
Top Up Mulch For Moisture And Weed Control
Top up your mulch now, to lock in the winter moisture, and reduce the amount of early season weeding you’ll have to do.
Apply a fresh 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch (like shredded bark, straw or compost-enriched mulch) around your beds and trees.
Mix small amounts of your finished compost into the top inch of soil, or blend with the mulch, to feed beneficial insects and soil microbes. Compost adds nutrients slowly, improving your soil structure, while mulching protects those gains.
Remove large weeds, before adding your mulch, and replenish your mulch annually, or where it breaks down, to maintain the thickness and ongoing weed control.
Plan Your Planting List And Order Seeds Early
Decide what you want to grow this year. You can do a simple sketch of your garden layout, showing the beds, sun exposure and spacing, so you know how many plant starts or seed packets you’ll need to get.
You can group crops by season and care needs, to make watering and harvesting easier.
Make a short list; cooler season greens, main season vegetables and later season crops, to help with knowing what to plant and when.
Order your seeds early, so you can an avoid disappointment. Choose reputable vendors, check the germination rates, and the days to maturity rates, so your seedlings will fit your growing window.
If you’re starting seeds indoors, schedule the sowing dates based on your last frost date.
Label the trays with the sowing date, and the variety, so you don’t end up with overcrowding.