Preparing your garden for spring

It’s that exciting time of year again - the ground is beginning to warm and the trees are beginning to bud. Before we know it, we’ll be pulling carrots from the ground and slicing freshly picked tomatoes from the backyard. But even before we have plants in the garden, there’s still a lot we can do.

Appropriate preparation work can assure a nutritious harvest and save new gardeners disappointment. Whether you are new to gardening or already have a schoolyard, backyard or community garden, here are eight tips to help you prepare for a successful growing season.

For the new gardener: Build a raised bed

If you don’t yet have a garden, you may want to consider building a raised bed. Raised beds are ideal for small-scale gardeners and are helpful to use because you can fill the garden box with healthy soil and know that your plants will be nourished. Make sure to build the garden box with untreated wood and place it in a location that gets a lot of sun. Another option is to buy garden boxes.

Clean your garden tools

Clean your garden tools so everything is ready to go as soon as it’s time to start working the earth. Remove the rust, sharpen the edges of shovels, trowels and hoes, and wipe everything down. It’s especially important to start the season with clean tools so you don’t accidentally spread fungus or insect eggs into the garden. Regular maintenance of garden tools will keep them efficient and help them last longer.

Set-up a compost system

If you don’t already have one, consider establishing your own compost system for this coming season. Making your own compost is a terrific way to cut costs on fertilisers. You can add kitchen scraps, garden material and yard trimmings to your compost.

Source your seeds

Source quality seeds from a local supplier. Locally sourced seeds are more adapted to your region’s climate and environment. Choose seeds that will grow well in the amount of sunlight your garden receives.

Remove weeds

Remove all the weeds from your garden, along with fallen branches and large plant debris. Working the soil when it’s too wet can compact and damage the soil structure. Waiting until it is dry enough helps keep the soil texture aerated, which plants will grow best in.

Add compost to the soil

When the soil is ready, add compost. Compost is the greatest gift you can give to your soil. It replaces the nutrients that were lost from the previous growing season, improves the soil structure and creates a friendly habitat for beneficial insects and microorganisms. It's important to replenish the soil with compost at the beginning of every growing season, at the very least. If you don’t yet have your own compost, you will want to find a quality source that is suitable for vegetable gardens. You can look at your local garden centre, a compost provider or a farmer. Layer compost on top of the soil and then turn it over before planting.

Start transplants

You can give your seeds a head start by growing transplants indoors. You will need to get seed-starting trays and a decent quality potting soil for starting. Plant seeds in the starting trays according to the directions on their packet. Place the seeds in a warm room with lots of light. Keep the soil moist as the seedlings grow. About a week before planting the seedlings outdoors, start to place them outside for increasing increments throughout the day and bring them in at night. This process is called 'hardening off' and will help the seedlings adjust to outdoor conditions.

Plan for maintenance

A vegetable garden requires regular work of watering, weeding, harvesting and more! It is helpful to plan for the maintenance of your garden and discuss objectives and care with your family and gardener.