Spring has finally arrived so now is the time to get out there and prepare for the new season. Here are ten top tips to help you get the most from your garden. I came across this list in an article by Jennifer Stackhouse over on the Homelife website where she suggests that you should get rid of the weeds first of all before tackling her ten point checklist.
This is a great time to start a vegetable garden, establish new garden beds, plant just about anything, renovate your lawn, spruce up neglected areas and give the garden its once-a-year feed of fertiliser.
One of the most rewarding jobs to do right now is to get rid of the weeds before they start growing with renewed vigour. Hand weed or hoe out new and emerging weeds. Target persistent weeds such as oxalis and onion weed with spot herbicide treatments, particularly while plants are in flower.
Spring garden checklist:
Here are my 10 top tips for ways to direct your spring gardening urges to get the most from your garden. Make a start this weekend and follow the rest of the action plan over the weeks ahead!
1. Feed
Gardeners love to nurture their gardens. Early spring is the best time of the year to give everything in the garden a good dose of fertiliser. After the next fall of rain, scatter slow-release or pelletised fertiliser over your garden. As it breaks down and filters into the soil, it is absorbed by growing roots and used to fuel growth and flowering.
2. Lawn update
Apply a slow-release complete lawn food to all grass areas. Use a metal rake to remove any build up of thatch (dead growth giving lawns a spongy feel underfoot). If the lawn is looking sparse, reseed or returf bare areas. Before replanting, dig in organic matter and water over the area with a soil wetting agent. Keep everyone off areas that are being renovated until the new grass is growing vigorously.
3. Plant vegetables
Early spring is a rewarding time to plant vegetables, whether you?re starting a new garden or popping some herbs in a sunny window box. Vegies and herbs to plant now (or after the last frosts in frost-prone areas) include summer salad vegies such as tomato, snowpeas, capsicum or chilli, lettuce, cucumber, basil, rocket and parsley.
See more at Homelife
