SPRING GARDENING HAS SPRUNG

Spring is finally in the air and we couldn’t be happier about that. To get a jumpstart on your gardening this upcoming season, here’s some of our top tips and reminders to set up your future garden for success.

HEADS UP: If your soil is still too hard, or is fully saturated with water, don’t work on it. Wait until it defrosts to avoid soil compaction and ultimately avoid stunted plant growth.

After withstanding the harsh winter, your garden deserves some tender loving care. Check for any damage. Shake off the snow remaining on any delicate branches and clean up any broken ones. Adding mulch to areas where your fall application has thinned also improves the fertility, moisture, and vitality of the soil. Pruning is a quick way to remove dead or damaged branches, encourages airflow and healthy growth.

This is the time to build garden beds and have your flower pots ready. Another note is the fluffier and lighter the soil, the healthier your plant growth will be.

Cover the soil in raised beds after fertilizer and amendments have been added, which helps to retain warmth, breakdown and ‘cure’ before seeds are planted. You will always want to wait until the soil is warm and is at least 15 degrees Celsius before sowing seeds. If your soil feels like crumbly chocolate cake then it’s likely ready for spring gardening. You can get the kids involved too and delegate a square foot for them to oversee and let them pick their own plants.

The location of your compost pile should not be in the full sun, underneath or near large trees, fence, or a shed. The reason is because you want good air circulation to encourage decomposition. Vegetable skins, fruit peels, coffee grounds, egg shells, and paper towel are all good for composting. If you do find a foul smell, try increasing brown matter and turning it more frequently, making sure you aren’t adding any dairy or meat products. It should look and smell like soil!

If you don’t have the luxury of abundant land and live in a condo, don’t worry. There’s plenty of innovative and fun gardening possibilities.

• Hang up your garden with baskets which are great for growing vegetable gardens such as cherry tomatoes, peppers, and many other produce and herbs which grow well in hanging planters. A fun next DIY project you can do alone or with the kids on the weekend!
• You can also place your pots at the base of a ladder as a natural frame for vining plants to climb. It’s a naturally aesthetically pleasing decoration that doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.
• Vertical planters are a cost-efficient way to grow your garden creatively though shelves, rain gutters as windowsill boxes, or shipping pallets turned on their sides. They’re a great way to grow herbs too.

FUN TIP: If you want to involve your kids, try container gardening for your pizza toppings! Pick an inexpensive container and grow all your oregano, tomatoes, basil, thyme, peppers, and any other suitable herbs and vegetables. A great family activity your kids will enjoy when picking out ingredients for their next pizza! For more info check out here.

The sky is definitely the limit when it comes to building your garden for the warmer months ahead. You can make it a family affair, a solo activity, and ingredients for your next masterpiece meal!