If you love your outdoor space, chances are you'll be out in your garden on the first warm day of spring. Surely, there will be some work for you to get your garden up to a standard, but besides removing fallen branches and debris, don’t rush with the clean-up. Wait until the soil is drier so you can work on it easily but again, don't wait too long to start. It will be much easier for you to prune plants before the old growth gets entangled in the new growth.
Here are the essentials of spring garden cleaning and getting it ready for summer days of outdoor joy and relaxation.
Remove mulch and prune your perennials
The first task is removing any dead plants and foliage left behind over winter, and composting them. You’ll clear up the space for new growth and any self-seeding plants will already have done their job.
If you had left your perennials unpruned last fall, they'll be an unattractive sight by now. Many perennial plants prefer to be left untouched throughout the winter, as it gives them extra protection. If you did take this course, once you see new growth at the plants base, you can begin removing winter mulch and pruning.
Certain shrubby plants with hard, woody stems such as Artemisia, buddleia, and lavender need to be pruned each spring as they only bloom on new branches. Spring pruning will minimize winter damage and encourage the growth of those new flowering branches. However, you should wait until the danger of a hard frost is over.
On the other hand, some perennial plants never quite go dormant, but they still need some tidying up. Spring is the ideal time to cut back the rugged foliage and boost new growth.
Pick the right time to prune the trees
Most spring-blooming trees set their flower buds in the summer or fall of the previous year. If you prune them in the spring, before they start blooming, you’d also prune off this year's flowers. If you’re unsure about what to do, it’s best you rely on professional help from tree services in Sydney who are experts in maintaining the health and beauty of trees.
Trees need regular pruning and light trimming to manage their shape and growth, as well as to encourage strong bud formation and branch development. However, pruning needs to be performed at specific seasons so the trees get the best chance of surviving the summer and the winter weather.
Give your roses some TLC
Caring for your roses in spring will greatly depend on your climate. In warm climates, roses never really go dormant, so they will benefit substantially from good pruning and the removal of most of the piled-up leaves. This will give the rose a kind of a shock to start feeling as if it was dormant and now it’s time to wake up and start growing. In places where they do go dormant, you should begin their TLC right when the leaf buds begin to appear.
Tidy up the evergreens
Most evergreens require very little to no spring care except some tidying up. You should fertilize them because they are in the process of active growth at this time. However, if the soil is healthy and rich, you can skip a season and feed your evergreens every other year. Use a well-balanced fertilizer marked particularly for evergreens.
Begin weeding and composting
Early spring is the perfect time to tackle weeds with some pro-active gardening and cultivating. Soft and damp soil makes it easier to extract young weed seedlings but don’t throw them in your compost as they’ll come back and mess up your work!
Apart from weeds, most of what you clean up can be put into your compost pile. It's recommended you start a new pile in spring and use your old pile in the garden. If there’s any plant material exhibiting signs of disease, make sure you dispose of them.
Divide and transplant
If you’re planning to move your plants, spring is the best time to divide some of your plants and transplant them. They have an amazing capacity to recover if you manage to catch them early when the weather is still mild, and they're just waiting to sprout out!
Bring in the fresh mulch
Finally, it’s time to bring in the mulch – it can do wonders for your garden! It conserves water, feeds the soil, cools plant roots, and most importantly, smothers weeds. Every garden deserves a rich layer of mulch, but wait until the soil dries and warms up a bit before you replenish your mulch. When putting it in, make sure you keep it away from the stems and crowns of plants because, if you’re hoping for some self-seeding annuals, this will give them a chance to germinate before the bed is covered with mulch.
A proper spring garden clean-up doesn’t have to be a tedious task. By taking your time and doing the right steps, you will reap all the benefits of a gorgeous, healthy and thriving garden with beneficial pollinators and pest-munching insects.
