Spring Garden Guide
Simple Steps to Successful Early-Season Prepping and Planting
Spring Cleaning
Don’t skip on the garden prep! It will pay off in spades come summer.
Once your snow has melted and your ground has thawed, take the time to clean out your garden beds from any debris left over from fall cleanup – or that Mother Nature “redistributed” over the winter. If you’re reusing your mulch from last year, take the time to loosen it up a bit to add some much needed oxygen to your soil.
Now is also a good time to prune any perennials (a few inches, typically, but will depend on the variety) if you didn’t get to it last fall and clear out any debris from between the foliage to prevent rot and disease.
Planting Prep
Once your area is cleared, now is a good time to amend the soil based on your garden’s needs. Adding compost can help loosen your soil and promote important microbial growth. Incorporating Cow manure helps to activate nutrients in the soil and retain moisture. We blend the two in our Organic Grower’s Blend (OGB), creating a potent soil supplement good for use in a wide variety of flower and vegetable beds.
A good rule of thumb is to mix 2” of your chosen amendment into 6” of soil. This may seem like a bit of extra effort on the front end, but your plants will thank you for it in the long run! For more information on soil and amendments, check out our Soil & Amendments page.
For best results, you should amend your soil every spring to loosen compacted snow and activate microbes and nutrients crucial to plant growth.
Get Growing
Mulch not only has numerous benefits for your garden, it improves the overall look of your outdoor spaces.
For tips on growing, we suggest discussing your needs with a trusted gardener, grower, or someone immersed in your local gardening community. The Minnesota State Horticultural Society has some great resources on their website to get you started.
Top-Dressing
You will want to top-dress your beds with some form of mulch, rock or manure to enhance moisture retention, deter rampant weed growth and improve the overall look of your beds. Check out our Mulches for more info on choosing the right mulch for your garden’s needs.