As the spring season swoops in and revitalizes the outdoors with new life, it is time to prepare your soil for spring gardening.
Here are a few ways to get your soil ready for planting this season.
Compost/manure
Compost provides soil with a fresh infusion of nutrient-rich organic matter, improving its ability to absorb water and nourish crops. Cover your garden with at least a half-inch to an inch of fresh compost in preparation for planting.
Dressing garden beds with compost or manure allows your garden to start out full of the nutrients they need to thrive this season. Rather than digging into the garden bed, allow the manure or compost to sit on top so the soil’s ecosystem remains undisturbed; the nutrients will work their way into the soil on their own.
Cultivate the soil and remove weeds
Spring rains and other forces compact soil over time; loosen up the soil before planting to get it ready for gardening. Tilling your garden helps to remove rocks and roots and break up the earth, making it easier for root systems to penetrate the soil.
Young spring roots are shallow and thus easy to pull from garden beds. Likewise, it’s a good idea to remove young weeds now before they take a deeper root. Minimize the emergence of more weeds by covering bare spots with mulch or ground cover. Or, cover the beds with black plastic sheeting before planting to suppress emerging weeds.
Other tips
Winter weather can cause leaves and debris to gather in drainage areas. Clear out these areas to allow adequate runoff for spring rains. Vegetative growth is at a low point in early spring, making it the easiest time of year to clear out drainage ditches.
Mother Earth News also suggested considering adding an organic fertilizer to your garden according to the crops you wish to plant. Widely-spaced plants have large nutrient appetites and require more nutrients than plants with shallow roots.
Need a hand revitalizing your garden this season? The experts at VistaPro are happy to help. Contact us online or give us a call today to learn more!