Gardening Spring prep

Put in a bit of hard work now to supercharge your garden and reap the benefits when the warmer weather kicks in

Start by removing all the weeds, along with any old or dead shrubs that are taking up too much room and then prune back anything else that’s become unruly.

Don’t be scared to prune quite hard – as a rule of thumb, the majority of plants can be reduced by a third without any harm being done. By pruning now you’ll give space for and promote fresh new growth. It’s also a good time to fill any bare spots with perennials (see ‘Did you know’, above right).

Enrich your soil with well rotted manure if you can get it, or a simple soil conditioner such as compost will also work a treat. Turn this through the soil to aid in de-compacting and aerating the ground ready for planting out in a few weeks.

You can also apply and dig through a slow-release fertiliser as this won’t get working until the weather warms up but will be there and ready to go as soon as it does.

Mulching will help keep the weeds down, but make sure you use a pea or sugar-cane mulch – this can be dug into the ground when planting with no adverse effects to the new plants.

It’s a good idea to wet the mulch down after application to prevent excess dust from blowing around the garden. It also helps keep the soil soft and easy to work with when you get around to planting it out.

Pot plants need a bit of TLC at this time of year, too. People often ask me what they can do for balcony gardens leading up to planting season. If you’re growing herbs and they’ve given up, you’ll need to remove them and start again. Once they’ve turned there’s no coming back.

There’s no need to throw out your potting mix, but it’s best to enrich it with some compost and slow-release organic fertiliser. Before replanting, soak your pot so the mix settles and then rewater once the plants are in.