Spring will soon point the tip of its nose! After a dark and cold winter, this season is eagerly awaited. To take full advantage of your exterior on sunny days, you must do some work in the garden. Collecting leaves, pruning, cleaning the vegetable garden, planting... Here are all the tasks to be done before the hot season!
As you probably know, spring is the season of renewal. It is also at this time of year that we do a big cleaning in the house, and sometimes a detox cure. In the garden, it's the same thing:when spring arrives, you have to clean, purify and relaunch the plantations.
Even if you've been doing this task all winter long, you have to start over one last time. Before embarking on spring gardening work, it is necessary to carry out a thorough raking of the leaves. To do this, several solutions are available to you. You can use the rake or the blower, which sometimes has the vacuum and shredder function. The choice of method depends on the size of your garden. However, in order not to tire yourself too much, we recommend roughing with a blower and finishing with the rake.
Like every year, you want to make a vegetable garden and thus enjoy your own vegetables from the garden! Before planting the seedlings, you must clean your plot. The first step is to uproot the dried out plants still present. They can be put in the compost, or placed at the foot of hedges. Prefer days without rain for this task, it will be easier.
Then, you have to dig the vegetable garden or rather use a tool like the grelinette which will not damage the underground micro-fauna. To enrich the soil before planting, you can add compost. It is also interesting to sow green manures. These can improve soil quality by reducing acidity, fixing nitrogen or disinfecting. Here is a non-exhaustive list of plants to use as green manures depending on the nature of your soil:
If you buy fertilizer from a garden centre, make sure it is 100% natural (and if possible organic):crushed horn, dried blood, etc.
If you have a terrace or paved walkways, it is important to clean them. The high-pressure cleaner is then acclaimed. Of course, it is possible to use cleaning solutions that can give new life to exterior surfaces. However, it is better to prepare a homemade cleaning solution that will be less polluting for the environment, your grandchildren or your animals. To do this, mix a liter of water with a dose of black soap and a cup of baking soda. Brush the deck and repeat if it is really stained. For rinsing, mix water and vinegar. It takes one glass of vinegar per liter of water. This mixture reduces the appearance of mold.
If you have trees and shrubs, March is the best time to prune them. In spring, pruning should be clean and short. It is necessary to air the center of the plant so that it regains strength. It is advisable to leave the most vigorous branches.
Among the plants to be pruned in March, there are all summer or fall flowering shrubs, pome fruit trees and stem trees. In April, the evergreen hedges and conifers must be pruned. Finally, be aware that if you have spring-flowering plants, then you will need to prune the faded flowers only. A fuller pruning will be expected after the summer.
Attention ! Vigilance is required with the pruning of trees and shrubs. Indeed, the risk of accident is high, especially if you have to position yourself at a height. Do not hesitate to call a professional. This will also take care of getting rid of green waste.
After winter, your lawn is tired. You have to take care of her. After picking up the leaves, scarify the lawn to remove all the moss. Because it is thick, it prevents the soil from breathing and smothers the grass that is struggling to grow. Then, you have to identify the most sparse areas and then sow grass there again. In the spring, it is also a good idea to fortify the lawn with organic fertilizer. So your garden will be ready for summer!
If you have had moles during the winter, which is frequent, if the rains have been abundant, it is important to wait until the lawn is dry before working it. In other words, wait for it to dry before filling the holes and reducing the clods.
Whether you have a rustic lawn or an English lawn, it is advisable not to mow too frequently or too close. Trim the edges but if your lawn area is large, do not hesitate to leave areas without mowing to promote the development of biodiversity:pass the mower in the heart of the garden by creating sorts of paths like a "punk" garden !
If you want to renew the lawn on an area, you must:
Once you have cleaned and pruned everything, you have to plant the different plants! The list of shrubs, annual or perennial flowers to plant in March, April and May is very long, you will be spoiled for choice according to your own tastes among the dahlia, lilac, rhododendron, lily of the valley, peony, valerian , primrose, iris, carnation, cornflower, hollyhock, acanthus, daisy, pansies… Do not hesitate to inquire to take into account the exposure of your plot and the type of soil.
In the vegetable garden, you have many sowings and plantings to do in the spring:
Once you've cleared, pruned and planted, watch your garden. Install a sprinkler system that saves water. And then, don't forget to clean your garden furniture. From spring, the good weather sets in and you may be able to take a break in the garden!
