Vernal Equinox-New Beginnings-Fresh Start
Today is the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring. It’s a time for new beginnings and fresh blooms. You can make sure that your garden will be in tip-top shape and welcome the new season by doing a little prep work.
Vernal Equinox Gardening Tips
- Organize your tools and gardening areas. It’s time for a little spring cleaning. Use this time to clean and organize your gardening areas such as shed, greenhouse, and garage. You can sharpen your tools like the blades on your lawn mower or gardening shears. Or use this time to buy new gear and supplies.
- Clean debris. Clear the yard of any fallen branches, leaves, weeds, and other such debris. Decomposing leaves, weeds, and algae can have “an adverse effect on water quality.” So, if you have an uncovered birdbath or pond, be sure that it’s clean too.
- Prune. If you would like to stimulate the growth of your shrubs, trees, and vines consider pruning now. Experts say that “pruning back a weak branch in late winter or early spring will often cause the new growth that replaces it to grow much faster.” For more on how to prune your plants follow this link.
- Remove pests. Be on the lookout for garden pests. With global warming, the weather and seasonal changes have been a bit unpredictable these past few years. So, unwanted insects may be up and about before you expect. If this is the case, you may want to consider these pest control options.
- Test your soil. Test your soil. By doing this you’ll be able to find out your soil’s pH levels and which plants are right for your gardens. You can also find out which nutrients are low or missing from the soil. For more instructions on testing your soil, consider this link.
- Plan your garden. Once you know which plants are suitable for your garden you can better plan your landscape. You’ll know which plants to use and in which areas. Take shade, sunlight, and drainage requirements into consideration.
- Prepare plants. Once you have your spring garden planned you can start preparing by buying seeds. Or consider growing certain bulbs indoors as the spring season arrives. This will give your budding plants a fresh, strong start and it can help your flowers bloom faster.