The birds are singing, the blossom trees are blooming and the leaf buds are starting to burst, all signs that Spring has arrived. Hopefully the slightly warmer days are enough to motivate you to get out into the garden to get some essential garden chores completed. Time spent in the garden at this time of year is time well spent as you have the opportunity to get your garden under control before the growing season starts and also you can prepare the garden so it will last through the warm Summer temperatures.
Here are some essential tips to ensure your garden is ready to grow and survive Summer.
Weed all garden areas – if you are not on top of the weeding now you never will be through Summer or you will have a big battle ahead of you once more weeds start to grow.
Do any required pruning on deciduous shrubs or trees before their new leaves sprout.
Dead head flowering plants.
Fertilise entire garden with an organic fertiliser such as a composted animal manure.
Ensure watering systems are working – make sure there are no blocked pipes. You may need to flush out lines which have become clogged with debris. Check all drippers and sprays work.
Mulch all garden areas – once the weeds are removed spreading a layer of mulch over the garden will suppress weed growth, insulate the soil on the hotter days and help maintain soil moisture.
Ensure you have all your lawn areas mowed to the correct height and do all the edges. You will need to get back into the routine of mowing more regularly.
Enrich the soil of the garden areas where you want to grow your Summer fruiting vegetables by digging through compost, organic garden soil and organic fertilisers.
