Spring Preparation for A Lush Garden

Spring is in the air! Now is a great time to start thinking about what your garden and lawn need to flourish. Your soil and your lawn will need a little care before you start planting anything. Don’t let mother nature fool you though, there is a cold front coming in this weekend with a forecast of a heavy freeze. You will want to prepare your soil but DO NOT plant anything until March.

Soil Preparation

There are a few things to ensure that your garden is ready for spring gardening. It’s a good idea to learn what type of soil you have and to check the soil’s pH levels. To check the pH levels this is a great tool, and this is a great site to learn about what levels your soil should be. It is important to amend your soil so that you have optimal soil to grow beautiful plants and fresh fruits and vegetables

Sandy Soil

Sandy soil will provide great airflow for a plant’s roots but doesn’t hold moisture and nutrients. If you have this type of soil it’s a good idea to add compost and shredded leaves to the soil to help create a more balanced soil.

Clay Soil

Clay soil holds moisture well, sometimes too well. Too much moisture can cause root rot and will kill the micro-organisms that are healthy for plants. If you have clay-based soil you will want to break up the soil and add compost, shredded leaves, peat moss, and gypsum.

Tilling

Tilling the soil is a great way to break up soil and correct nutrient pH balance. Don’t overdo it though. Soil can become too fine and will dry up quickly. For some tips on how to properly till your garden check out this website.

Raised Beds

Now is a great time to plant vegetables. If you don’t have a spot in the ground to plant them then consider a raised bed. A raised bed is a great way to control your soil. Our very own gardening expert Jacci has created a video with some great tips and tricks for a flourishing vegetable garden. Here is a list of what and when to plant in Houston.

Lawn Preparation

Your lawn has been dormant throughout the winter, there are a few things that you need to do now to ensure a beautiful, lush lawn.

Rake

Get out there and rake your lawn! Raking helps to remove thatched, dead grass. When you rake out the dead grass you will help to promote healthy new grass to grow by allowing air, water, and fertilizer to penetrate the roots. This is a great rake for dethatching the grass.

Aerate

Aerating is not something that you want to do in the spring unless absolutely necessary. Aerating in the spring creates small holes in the grass that are ideal openings for weed seeds to germinate.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing is important twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. The best time to fertilize your lawn is when you start to see the grass turning green. For a more organic approach to fertilizing you can apply a thin layer of compost over the lawn.

Pre-Emergent Herbicide

Pre-emergent herbicides are good for control weeds that have not fully germinated, or that are still seeds. Using a pre-emergent will help to stop the weeds before they grow, creating a healthy, lush lawn. Big Tex has great information on both fertilization and pre-emergent check out their website.