Spring is not only the perfect time of year to enjoy your garden, it’s also one of the busiest times of the year for getting work done out there, too. Early in the season it’s time to get out there and help your garden recover from winter, and by the end of the season it’s time to prepare everything for the approaching summer heat.
So if your garden is starting to tell you that it’s time to pull on the gardening gloves and get back out there after the long and dreary winter, have a look through this spring gardening checklist to make your yard the envy of the neighbourhood.
Early Spring
When the cold weather finally disappears it’s time to shake the winter blues off your garden too.
Cleaning
Clean off your outdoor furniture and your barbecue so they’re ready for use.
Check your pool pH levels and filters. Make sure you’ve got all of the pool cleaning equipment you need and that it’s in working order.
Check your irrigation system and hoses.
Clean your water features, check that the filters are working.
Fertilising
Firstly, remove any debris that has fallen over your garden beds or lawn.
Take any winter mulch off your garden beds, or work it into the top layer of soil if it is well composted.
Give the whole garden a healthy dose of slow-release fertiliser.
It’s important that citrus trees are fed and fertilised before they start flowering.
Pruning
Any fruit trees will need to be pruned early in spring before any buds bloom so as not to stress the tree.
If you’ve got roses in your garden, it’s now time to dead head them.
Planting
It’s time to plant hardy vegetables like onions, potatoes, carrots, and lettuce.
Plant any spring seedlings that you’ve got ready to brighten up the garden.
Lawn
If thatch has built up, now is the time to remove it so that early precious rays of sun can get through to the new leaves of lawn.
Fix any waterlogging so that the soil can drain properly.
Aerate the soil if it’s too compacted.
Mid-Spring
By mid-spring, your garden should have experienced some good rain and some good sunlight. Everything will have warmed up a bit and started to sprout, bloom, and grow.
Weeding
Get on top of any weeds now as they start to emerge.
Apply a herbicide if necessary.
Check between pavers and along paths.
Don’t forget ponds or water features – they attract weeds too.
Mulching
Now is the time to reapply a mulch ahead of summer.
Not only will mulch help to keep the moisture in your garden beds, it will keep weeds to a minimum.
Apply some compost at the same time to feed some nutrients back into the soil.
Pest control
Aphids can become a problem in spring, so check for them, along with any other usual undesirable garden habitants like white fly.
Apply pesticides where necessary.
Lawn
Your lawn will now be ready for its first mow. Make sure it’s at least 7 centimetres long and don’t cut it to less than 4 centimetres.
Reseed any bare patches.
Trim the edges.
For any new warm-season grass lawn, now is the time to sow your lawn seed.
Late Spring
Hopefully by late spring you will have enjoyed some lovely warm days in your vibrant garden. Now your yard work will mostly involve preparing it for the upcoming summer.
Pruning
Spring-flowering shrubs will need pruning. Trim dead blooms and thin back any branches that are too thick.
Mulching
Top up the mulch on your garden beds to make sure it’s at least 5cm thick
Weeding
Scour the whole garden for weeds. When summer sets in you don’t want any weeds competing for precious water.
Check the garden paths and retaining walls and apply a herbicide if they’re prone to weeds.
Lawn
Check for pests or weeds. Apply a herbicide or pesticide as necessary, making sure it’s the right type for your lawn type.
Mow again, without a catcher if you have one.
If there hasn’t been much rain, regularly give the lawn a decent watering to allow the water to soak down to the root level.
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