Do you love gardening? Are you wondering what your spring garden tasks should be? Looking around my garden this morning I saw lots of shoots appearing on my roses and the daffodils are coming up nicely, so I thought it would be a good idea to write a post for you all about tasks to complete in the garden for early spring.
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I really love getting out in the garden after the cold winter months and seeing what little green shoots are starting to appear. Many plants I had put in during the autumn and winter that were dormant will be starting to spring to life.
It’s so satisfying knowing that those sleeping plants are now starting to wake up and establish themselves in my garden.
Gardening is very relaxing and a superb way to practice mindfulness because it lets your brain switch off for a bit. All you are focused on is the job you are doing in the garden. The fresh air is also great for your health and relieves any stress.
It is well known that gardening is brilliant for your mental and physical health and I highly recommend anyone who has a garden to get out and make the most of it.
I also find gardening to be fantastic for keeping me physically fit without even realising I am doing it. I used to go running a lot until my knee started making funny noises. So now gardening is my exercise, and I can burn hundreds of calories a day whilst enjoying myself.
Spring garden tasks
Take root cuttings
This is fantastic way to boost you stock of plants. Give it a go on herbaceous perennials for example Anemone x hybrida, Eryngium planum and Phlox paniculate cultivars while they are still dormant.
Warm the soil
Warm the soil in your garden to accommodate any early planting or sowing. You can do this by covering it with cloches after you have gently forked the surface to allow faster evaporation. You can also cover well-drained soils with reusable clear polythene.
Refresh your winter pots
This is one of my favourite tasks in the garden in springtime. At this time of year garden centres and supermarkets will be selling spring primroses and small pots of flowering bulbs. Keep an eye out for them and grab yourself a selection of bright flowers to freshen up any winter pots or containers.
Cut back your perennials
If you have left herbaceous plants or grasses alone during the winter to add a little bit of interest to your garden or to benefit wildlife, then now is the time to cut them back. Trim them down to the base, just above emerging new shoots.
Mulch perennial vegetable plants
Not such a pleasant item on the list of jobs for Spring, but an important one, nonetheless. Get hold of some well-rotted manure or garden compost and spread a 5-10cm (2-4in) layer around plants such as asparagus and artichokes. This will help the soil to conserve moisture, prevent weeds from growing and improve the quality of the soil.
Trim winter heathers
Cut back heather bushes just below the stems of the old flowers. Don’t prune them back too much as they don’t regenerate very well from the old wood.
Tidy citrus plants
Trim back any leggy growth by up to two thirds and remove any weak or overloaded stems.
Prune late-summer clematis
Cut down to the lowest pair of new buds – this will ensure you get lots of new stems with an abundance of flowers. If you leave the clematis un-pruned it can develop into a woody tangle of stems and the flowers will appear up too high.
Clean your garden tools
Give your forks, spades and other garden tools a good wash and allow them to dry. Don’t put them away wet otherwise they may start to rust. Washing them regularly will also help to prevent any disease spreading from one plant to the other. Take any cutting tools to the local hardware store to be sharpened. This way they will be ready to be used as and when you need them.
Prune deciduous hedges
This is the time to cut back hedges quite vigorously if they need it. Deciduous hedges such as beech or hawthorn are still dormant at this time and its is also too early for birds to start nesting.
Sow peppers and chillies
Start them off earlier than other vegetables because they need a longer growing season. Sow them in a heated propagator or in trays on a sunny window sill.
I hope you will find some of these Spring garden tasks useful. Remember gardening is great for your physical and mental health so keep up the good work and enjoy it.
I love to hear feedback from my readers so please leave me a comment below. Thank you.
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Rachel Mills
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