I know that you are itching to get out in the garden and get the plants going, but it’s still a bit chilly and there are some things that you need to do before you get those plants in the ground.
Here are 10 Pre-Spring gardening tasks that will help take the edge off the spring fever and even get the kids involved with gardening.
- Pick up downed branches: You can save them for wood burning stoves or, what I like to do is burn the piles and use the ash for the chickens to wallow in.
- Rake leaves but don’t burn them or throw them away. They can be used as mulch in between garden rows. The can also be composted.
- Dig up perennial weeds and any snails that you see. Getting a head start on the weeding helps to lighten the spring load when it comes into full force. Those pesky snails will be under leaves and pieces of wood. Collect them and feed them to the chickens. This might be a good job for the littles to do.
- Research what grows best in your area: Just because someone says you CAN grow it, doesn’t mean it will actually grow; and some things that will grow in your area may require more input that you are willing to give it.
- Think about what you eat the most: There is no reason to waste time, money and energy on things no one in your family is going to eat. No one in my family likes radishes except my son, and he is off living his best life in California so that is no point in me taking up valuable growing real estate with them (even if they are easiest thing to grow).
- Decide what you are going to grow. It’s too late to start your tomato, pepper, and eggplants from seed (for southeast Texas) but you can decide what direct sow plants you will grow. The vegetables that do the best direct sow are beans, squash, cucumber, lettuce, radishes, Swiss chard, etc.
- Test your soil and condition if needed: I am always adding and amending my soil with rabbit, chicken and cow manure. Add last year’s compost to your soil
- Get that compost going: Make sure everyone in the family knows what can and cannot be added to compost. Place “compost catchers” near the kitchen sink and anywhere else food is prepared. You really can compost through the winter.
- Check your hoses and watering system: This may not seem like a big deal, but hoses do age, especially around here in the heat of the summer. Last year I discovered that my hoses had leaks. Since I have to use city water at times, this can cause a problem. This is also the time of year, I lay out my irrigation system and make sure there are no clogs and the water is running well through each of the spigots.
- Divide perennials: Some perennials tend to crowd each other out, causing their performance to deteriorate year over year. Daylilies, Shasta Daisies, Hostas, and many others all benefit from being divided in early spring. You can transplant them elsewhere in the garden to fill in spaces. FREE PLANTS! Who doesn’t love that?