There’s no better feeling for a gardener than knowing the winter thaw is finally over and spring has sprung. When the weather starts warming up and the insects start to flutter around again, it’s time to get back into your organic garden.
Today, we’re discussing six things you can do to prep your garden for the upcoming growing season so you can expect a bountiful harvest.
1. Start Your Seeds
It seems like every year Iowa likes to trick us into thinking Spring is here sooner than it actually is. We get to enjoy occasional 40 and 50-degree days in between rounds of snow. When this happens, it’s a good time to start your seeds indoors. Starting your seeds inside will give you a head-start when spring finally gets here and it’s cheaper than purchasing start seeds at the store. Looking for a way use your discarded coffee grounds? Convert them into starter pots for planting. As you start working with your seeds, remember to be gentle. Your seedlings are still babies after all, so spray them with water from a spray bottle instead of pouring water on them.
2. Start Puttering Around the Garden
If it’s still a little too cool to bring your seedlings outside, use this time to prep your tools. Just like your kitchen tools, your gardening items need regular maintenance. Sharpen your shears or replace them if they’ve become too rusty. You should also make sure the lawn mower is ready to go for the season by sharpening the blade and giving it a tune-up.
3. Work Your Soil
One of the most rewarding parts of growing your own organic vegetable garden is buying or starting new seedlings and placing them in the soil. Before you get to this point, you need to do some prep work. If you’ve worked this garden before, you should check the soil to see if it still has the nutrients necessary for supporting your plants. If you discover that the pH balance is off, take the proper steps to correct it. Now would be a good time to perform a soil test!
4. Turnover Your Compost
Do you make your own compost? Hopefully you’ve been adding to it all winter. But once the final thaw is over, you should give it a turn. Compost is the superfood for plants, so add any last minute green waste to it that you may have stored during the winter. As the weather warms up, keep adding things such as scraps, leaves, lawn clippings, and other green waste to enhance its power.
5. Determine Your Garden Layout
Do you have a small or large garden space? Now is the perfect time to think about how to place plants in your garden so you can get the most from it. Start drawing some diagrams so you can determine the best section for your lettuce, carrots, and green beans. Even if you’re working with acres of land, it’s having a plan is an important part of ensuring success for the harvesting season.
