Now the clocks have gone forward there’s a bit more time at the end of each day to make a start on preparing your garden for summer.
1. Lawn
Your lawn may be looking worn this spring with bare patches and burgeoning moss patches. Once dry enough, mow your lawn with the blades at their highest. Rake the bare patches, lifting up the compacted dead grass. Ensure the earth is damp and sow seed onto the newly scarified soil. Finally the application of a Spring Lawn Feed that is high in nitrogen should perk up your lawn in colour and appearance. If you have patches of moss on your lawn you can buy feeds that contain moss killer. Feed again in 6 weeks time and continue to mow with your blades on the highest setting, gradually reducing each mow until you reach your summer level.
2. Potatoes
Your first early potatoes should be nearly ready to harvest. Sow your second at the beginning of this month and your main crop at the end.
3. Beans and Peas
It’s time to sow your beans and peas. Sweet Peas make a glorious display as well as providing a beautiful scent. Runner beans are an easy vegetable to grow in a bed or in a pot and have intricate red blooms. If you don’t have a greenhouse or a propagator a sunny windowsill will be just as fruitful.
4.Houseplants
Put fresh compost into the top inch of your houseplants and re-pot those that have outgrown their own over winter. Plant them into the next pot size up and leave the top inch free for watering. Turn them regularly so that all the leaves get equal time in the sun. Give them a spring clean removing dead stalks and yellowing leaves and wiping the dust build up from the plant before feeding. A useful tip is to apply Tomato Plant food.
5. Spring Flowering Bulbs
When they have finished blooming, dead head your spring flowering bulbs. Don’t tie the foliage in a knot or cut it back as it will continue to grow and provide valuable food for the bulb to flower next year. Now is also the best time to plan your spring flowering bulbs for next year, make a note of the bare patches in your garden now ready for planting in autumn.
6. Weeds
Begin your weed control programme now and you could save yourself time later this summer. Control weeds and aerate your soil between your vegetable rows. Take your hoe and remove the weeds as they are beginning to sprout. Once they are all removed, turn over the soil to break up any remaining roots.
Debby's Garden Links - Directory of categorised links to UK gardening related websites.
