Seasonal Garden Care

We’re not even out of the post-Christmas flurry of clearance sales and inventory reduction, and we’re already seeing garden statuary in the hobby stores. Is January too soon to start decorating your garden? Well, if you’re willing to shovel snow to set that garden gnome under a tree, probably not. But, there are some things you can do during every season to take care of your garden.

Fall
In the fall, it’s time to winterize your garden. Remove any dead growth or faded vegetation. Either put it in a compost heap, or dispose of it, because if you just leave it on the ground, it will encourage the growth of fungi and pests. It will also sap the nutrients out of the soil during the winter.
Fall is when you plant bulbs in your garden. If you want a natural look, take handfuls of bulbs and “sew” them across the ground, like you would grass seed. If you want the bulbs in certain places, plant them in groups for a more natural look. An alternative is to plant them in rows, for a more formal look.
This is also a good time to mulch your flower beds and the bases around your trees. It will help to preserve the roots of more delicate plants, and will trap winter moisture underground.
Your garden, especially the lawn, will benefit from a good winterizer. This is a type of fertilizer that prepares the grasses for the harsh cold winter.
Winter
Well, there’s really not much you can do in the winter, unless you live in mild climes. If you do, this is a great time to get out and aerate your soil. This can be done with a tool that looks like a pogo stick with two points instead of one. However, it doesn’t work quite that way. You step on the bar connecting the points, and it takes little cores out of the garden soil to the depth of the tines. This leaves hundreds of little holes all through the soil. As the cold weather freezes water, and then thaws occur, the water will seep down into the soil, breaking it up. This allows young roots from seedlings to get a better purchase in the ground. It also allows earthworms to make their way into your garden, fertilizing as they go. You can also put pre emergent herbicide down, to keep weed seeds from germinated as soon as it warms up.
Spring
If you were unable to aerate your garden during the winter, this is a great time to do it. If you have bulbs planted, they’ll finish blooming during this time. Put a good fertilizer on your garden to encourage healthy growth. Use just enough fertilizer to be soaked up by your garden, and you won’t have to worry about polluting the environment. It will all be used by the growing beauty in your plot.

Summer
You’ve got all of your preperation done now through the harshest seasons of the year. All you have to do during the summer, is keep things watered, weeded, and deadheaded. By this fall, your garden will be the envy of the neighborhood!

Featured images:

•  Image credit Cheap photos
•  Image by Smart Photo Stock

Josh Andrews is a keen gardener. He loves looking after his property including the house and enjoys helping others with their quest for the perfect home. He currently works for Lawnmaster, A company who carry out a variety of lawn maintenance services.