TIDY YOUR GARDEN FOR SPRING

Spring will soon be here and you’ll be caught up with seed sowing, tidying your garden, ordering bulbs and general maintenance to have your outdoor space looking its best for the nice weather.

Order summer-flowering bulbs and seeds

Get your summer-flowering bulbs ordered now for early-spring planting. Flowers like lilies and gladioli are perfect, or do some research into other varieties you can try.

Tidy up flower beds and borders

Having a general tidy up is essential as there is always leaves and debris left from the winter. Cut back old dead growth of deciduous grasses, however sometimes these are best left till early spring if you’re being friendly to the wildlife.

Clear flower beds back to bare soil, removing weeds by either burning or putting them in your brown bin.

If you have good soil then add a 5cm layer or well-rotted manure or compost.

Clean out and wash your greenhouse

Give your greenhouse a good clean in preparation for the seedlings and cuttings of spring.

Wash the outside of your greenhouse with disinfectant or detergent to remove algae, moss and general grime. This will allow more light during the growing months and also prevent pests and disease making it a home. Its also worthwhile thoroughly cleaning the inside of the glass too.

Sweep and clean out the inside of the floor and any benches and wash with a cleaning solution. Use this to also clean pots and seed trays to help prevent disease spreading.

Make sure your greenhouse is well ventilated for a few days so it dries thoroughly. Once dry and clean, check for any structural damage and replace any broken parts.

Sow any seeds that need a longer season

Some seeds need a longer growing season so in January and February you can start to sow the seeds of geraniums, begonias, peppers and aubergines. They’ll need to started somewhere warm to ensure good growth.

Get rid of the garden pests

Check for slugs and snails on your perennial plants that may have been used for winter shelter. Also clear out last years pots and make sure all white-vine-weevil larvae is removed – this lives in the compost and feeds on plant roots. Chemicals can help with this so ask at IBT for more information.

Harvest the rainwater

For environmentally friendly gardening you can collect the rainwater in a large bucket or water butt – make sure it’s a big one as we get a lot of rain at this time of year!

Rainfall is the best type of water for plants as tap water is often slightly alkaline.

Position your water container under a downpipe to collect.

Move deciduous shrubs

Deciduous shrubs are dormant in the winter so this is the best time to move them. Make sure there’s no heavy wind when you move them so that the roots don’t dry out.

When re-planting a shrub make sure you give the root as much space as possible to re-establish itself in the new location and place it at the same level as previous. Water well once planted.

Maintain fences, gates and trellis

We still get a few calm, dry days in the winter so use these to carry out maintenance in your garden. Weather damage can affect your fence panels, gates and trellis so fixing any broken structures will save time during the spring and summer. Ensure everything is clean using a power washer to remove dirt, moss and mildew and a wire brush will remove stubborn grime. Once completely dry you can apply a stain, paint or preservative to have it looking good as new.

Clean your tools

Garden tools are well used during spring and summer so give them a good clean and sharpen. This will save money in the long run and help prevent disease to your plants. Dirty secateurs are notorious for spreading bacteria and fungi to fresh pruning wounds.

Plenty to do before the spring arrives to get your garden look in tip-top condition all ready for a sea of colour later in the year.