Prepare Your Garden for Spring
Whether enjoying a robust burst of floral colors or the literal fruits of your labors, a home garden can transform your outdoor space as well as your life. Whatever you decide to plant, springtime is the right time to begin planning your gardening for the year. Here are a few simple tips to help prep your garden for success.
Layout
It’s important to consider the layout of your garden ahead of time to avoid mayhem at the planting stage. Some plants may require more room to spread out than others, which is just one important consideration to keep in mind when planning your layout. Create a detailed list of everything you wish to plant, then mark where each seed or plant will be placed in your garden with labelled popsicle sticks or some other means of identification. Laying out a grid with string at this stage will also help to simplify the layout process.
Test the Soil
For your plants to grow and be healthy, soil conditions in your garden must be correct. By now you should have selected whatever plants you intend to grow for the season. Check the labelling or consult your local garden center to determine the ideal PH balance for each plant, and then use a test kit (also readily available at most garden centers) to check PH levels in your soil. If the PH in your garden is out of balance, you can correct the situation with various fertilizers and additives.
In addition to PH, many plants do better when planted at a certain temperature. Check the temperature of your soil to be sure you are planting when conditions are ideal, and always wait until after the last frost of the year to plant anything in your garden.
Cover the Ground
There may be some delay between when you’ve readied your garden plot and when you decide to plant. If you’ve already gone to the trouble of weeding and clearing debris from your garden, the last thing you’ll want to do is repeat the process. Consider placing a ground cover material over your freshly weeded garden before planting. This will inhibit the growth of pesky weeds and help maintain soil temperature. When it comes time to plant, simply cut into the groundcover material to provide room to place your plants in the soil below. This simple preventative measure will afford you a whole season of weed-free gardening.
Mulch
Mulch isn’t just for landscaping—it can also be beneficial to many gardens. Mulch helps maintain healthy soil temperature, as well as retaining much-needed moisture to keep your plants hydrated and healthy. Mulch can be laid down after your groundcover is in place in advance of planting. Just be sure to give the soil a few days to acclimate to new conditions before introducing your plants.
With these helpful tips, you should be well on your way to a healthy spring garden. If you’re in the market for a home with more garden space (or any other home need, for that matter) trust the mortgage experts at First Ohio Home Finance to assist you. Contact us today to get started.
