The Spring Equinox marks the first official day of spring, ushering in the new season. One of the most vibrant times for landscapes, we see beautiful blooms appearing this time of year. It’s important to have a healthy foundation — from the soil to the treetops — to cultivate a healthy garden. In this article, we’ve outlined essential steps for best preparing your landscape for the coming spring.
Preparing the Soil
Fertilizer
Healthy plants need just the right amount of nutrients, especially nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Conducting a soil reading allows you to first measure and identify the current levels of each essential nutrients, allowing you to select the right fertilizer.
Aeration
By aerating your soil, you allow oxygen and water to successfully reach plants’ roots. This process typically involves strategically removing plugs or sections of soil, breaking up any compacted soil to allow healthy roots to grow deeper.
Insulation & Mulching
Applying mulch to your garden beds helps insulate them against high or low temperatures, providing essential protection as the weather ebbs and flows throughout the spring. As the days get warmer, mulch helps protect your plants against the heat, while also reducing moisture loss due to evaporation and warding off weeds.
Tidying the Edges
Removing Debris
The first step in tidying up your landscape is removing any debris, dead plant matter and downed tree branches. Not only does this improve the aesthetic appeal, but it’s important to allow you landscape to get adequate oxygen and sunlight.
Pruning & Deadheading
The spring is an ideal time to prune trees, vines, shrubs and flowers. The process sets your plants up for success during peak growing season, by proactively removing dead, diseased, pest-infested or otherwise unhealthy parts of the plants. Removing dead blooms from your flowers, called deadheading, removes unsightly or damaged flowers, allowing healthier blooms to take their place.
Preparing Flower Beds
Many of the steps listed below can be used to prepare your flower beds from spring. First, you’ll need to remove any debris or dead plant matter. Additional steps include weeding, aerating the soil, and adding compost and mulch to encourage healthy growth. Spring is also an ideal time to divide any overgrown perennials and plant news seeds or bulbs.
In Conclusion
A beautifully blooming garden ushers in the spirit of spring. At Prewett, Read & Associates, our landscape architects are skilled at designing custom landscapes to meet your home’s needs, while our professional landscape crews ensure that your garden remains lush year-round. If you’re ready to bring life to design in your landscape, reach out to us. We’re here to help.