by Blain’s Farm and Fleet
When winter has dragged on, it can be hard to wait to plant your garden. But if you try digging in your garden too early, you may end up doing more damage than good. Luckily, Blain’s Farm & Fleet is here to help with a list of ideas to keep your green thumb busy until then. Below we have eight early spring lawn and garden projects for you to try.
8 Early Spring Lawn and Garden Projects:
1. Do a Soil Test– Have a soil test done on your dirt, or even do one yourself! You can pick up soil collection bags for your samples at your local extension office or purchase a soil test kit at your local Blain’s Farm & Fleet. Keep in mind you may want to do multiple tests for your lawn soil and your garden soil as recommendations may vary whether you plan on growing flowers, vegetables or grass.
2. Make a Compost Heap or Bin– If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to get one started. Visit our How to Build a Compost Bin project for step by step instructions on how to turn your common household and garden waste into “black gold” for your plants.
3. Replace Your Mulch and Add Amendments– This is a good time to renew the mulch around all your plants before the new foliage fills out. Use the accumulated compost from the winter (yet another reason to build a compost bin if you don’t have one already) and spread it around all your plants–they’ll love you for it when the weather does finally warm up!
4. Prune Your Shrub Roses– When your roses start to bud, you can easily tell where there is dead wood that needs to be removed. When deciding where to prune your roses, look for a healthy bud that is pointing outward. Make your cut at a 45 degree angle about 1/4″ above the rose bud. If you see brown tissue in the center of the cane, go down a little further until you find healthy tissue. Read through our article for more tips on caring for roses.
5. Clean Out All Your Pots and Containers– Remove old potting soil from your planters and dump it into your compost bin. Do not reuse the same soil mix as any diseases that were present last year will carry over. Scrub each container with powdered laundry detergent and water, then disinfect the pot with bleach and water. Rinse well and voila–your pots are disinfected and ready to plant when the weather permits.
6.Sharpen and Clean Your Garden Tools– Many gardeners expend twice the energy they need to when their garden tools aren’t kept sharpened. An electric grinder or a flat file are two great ways to get the job done. Start by putting the tool in a vise and make long firm strokes in one direction. When you’ve sharpened the entire length of the blade, turn the tool over and rub off any burrs. For more in-depth look, read through our sharpening methods guide.
7. Start Planning Seeds– Get out your nursery catalogs and make sure to get your order in now for all those new perennials that you had your eye on when the catalogs first started arriving last January. Planning and dreaming what your garden will look like ensures you will get the most out of the crucial time of spring planting. You can also pick up bulbs and seeds right at your local Blain’s Farm & Fleet.
8. Keep a Garden Journal– This can be one of the most satisfying things you can do with your time in the long Winter months. Whether it is chores we need to remember to do when spring comes, or just where we put a new plant last fall…a garden journal is invaluable!
Discover More In-Depth Articles about Gardening Tips and Advice:
• Spring Landscaping Tips to Free Up Time in the Summer
by Sue Baxter
• Spring Landscaping Tips (Above)
(by Blain’s Farm and Fleet)
• 2020 Symposium
• What To Do About Brown Grass
by Purdue Extension
• Moisture Induced Diseases affecting Plants and Landscaping
by Purdue Extension
• Winter Gardening Tips from Purdue
• Protecting Your Garden from Cold Weather
(by Blain’s Farm & Fleet)
• Top Gardening Tips for a Fruitful Season
• Visit Friendship Botanic Gardens in Michigan City
• How to Make Your Garden Patriotic, by Cassie Steele
• The Greenhouse in East Chicago has Working Aquaponics
• Visit Gabis Arboretum
• Historical Native Garden & Medicinal Garden Growing
• Is Your Outdoor Living Space Summer Ready?
• Three Key Reasons You Should Take Up Hydroponics
• How to Grow a Hydroponic Vegetable Garden
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
