Spring Gardening: Here's Everything You Need To Know

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As the days start getting longer and the temperatures warm up, it’s time to get your garden ready for the season (woohoo!). Here’s everything you need to know about spring gardening.

Successful gardening takes more than simply throwing seeds (or small plants) in the dirt and letting them “do their thing”. Gardeners who want prolific gardens know that a certain amount of prep work is needed to enjoy those high yields you crave.

Unfortunately, if you do an internet search on spring gardening, you will find a ton of information covering a TON of different topics. It’s enough to make your head spin!

That’s why I’m simplifying it for you into 6 simple steps.

Your spring gardening tasks will require a little planning and elbow grease, but the job doesn’t need to be over-complicated into tons of steps!

Tools and seedlings on a table ready for Spring gardening.

Your Spring Gardening Task List

If you want to find yourself “drowning” in cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and more, use these tips to set yourself up for success.

1. Decide What You Want To Plant

Believe it or not, your spring gardening checklist begins not with digging, but rather with planning.

Chances are you don’t have space or the time to plant everything you would love to grow! If you do have a huge garden area – I’m jealous (and good for you 🙂)! However, if you’re like me, you need to sit down and decide what you’re going to plant this year before you break out your shovel.

Different plants have different needs and can tolerate different climates. So, it’s hard to triangulate all that information into one easy reference list. But, guess what? I’ve done it for you!

Here’s a list of vegetables and flowers that you can plant in early spring.

Cool Weather Vegetables

These veggies need to be planted after the last frost. But, since they can tolerate cooler temperatures, you can plant them earlier in the season and get a jump on your garden produce:

Broccoli
Cabbage
Spinach
Cauliflower
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Rhubarb
Snow Peas
Asparagus
Lettuce
Kale
Radish
Beets
Garlic

Related: Many of these cool-weather crops also work great in a fall garden. It’s a great way to get even more produce out of your garden!

Annual Flowers (flowering plants that only grow for one season and then die)

Some people prefer growing annuals while others prefer growing perennials. I’ve broken the list down into these categories to eliminate confusion between the two.

Marigolds
Osteospermum
Calendula
Geraniums
Petunias
Sweet Alyssum
Snapdragons
Pansies
Larkspur
Zinnias

Perennial Flowers (flower plants that return year after year)

If you prefer to grow perennials or a mix of annuals and perennials (or even companion planting of veggies and flowers), the flowering plants on this list can be planted in cooler weather.

Peonies
Coneflowers (Echinacea)
Virginia bluebells
Baby’s Breath
Lavender
Foxglove
Bleeding Heart
Violets
Sedum
Irises
Bee balm
Columbine
Primroses

Lavender growing in a field. Lavender is a great early-starter for spring gardening.

These are just some examples of plants that can be planted a little early – once you’ve chosen as many of these as you want, go ahead and pick out all the other wonderful vegetables and flowers you want to grow this season.

2. Plan Your Spring Gardening Sowing Schedule

Once you determine what you want to plant this season, you need to decide on your sowing schedule, which could be impacted by several factors.

Sowing Placements

Some plants will do well when sowed directly into the garden bed, but others may benefit from getting established in controlled indoor conditions before transplanting outside. You might be able to get an early start with these indoor starters before you do the outdoor steps listed below.

Tip!

Consult your seed packets for more info on each plant’s sowing schedule.

Climate Control

The climate plays a part in your planting schedule because if you have a short growing season, you may want to start seeds indoors to extend your growing season as long as possible.

And of course, some plants can be planted right away while others need to wait until the weather and soil warm up a little more.

Spaced Intervals

Finally, if you want to have staggered plantings and harvests of the same vegetables, you’ll need to plan out a sowing schedule that includes plantings at spaced intervals.

I personally find it helpful to write out my planting schedule rather than trying to keep it all straight in my head! After I decide when I’ll plant different plants, I’ll write down on my calendar to help me keep track at a glance.

3. Fine Tune Hardscaping

Everyone knows that landscaping is the plants and living parts of your yard, but have you heard of hardscaping? Hardscaping is non-living parts of your yard: rocks, bricks, pavers, stepping stones, wood, concrete, decks, pergolas, benches, etc.

Your hardscaping gives your yard definition and structure, while your landscaping adds the beauty and living element.

Hardscaping chores may include jobs such as:

Replacing rotted wood
Repairing damaged fencing
Levelling stepping stones
Expanding the edges of your garden beds

When the weather starts to warm up – but before you begin planting – inspect your hardscaping and make any repairs, additions, or adjustments to it before you begin planting. Doing this early on will save you tons of time (and headaches!) later. Trust me. 😉

A stone path in a garden as an example of hardscaping.

4. Do A Spring Yard Clean-Up

If you’re fortunate enough to live in an area where winters are mild and many plants can survive without too much work, you may find that your spring cleanup tasks will vary slightly.

I, however, live in Zone 3, and winters get cold. When spring comes, it’s time to get the yard cleaned up and remove all the dead growth from the previous year.

Examples Of Spring Clean-up Jobs:

Take a look around your yard for damaged plants and ornamental objects and remove them
Trim back any overgrowth
Remove any dead plants
Cut back ornamental grasses
Divide perennials
Remove weeds

Learn More: We have a post all about how weeds grow and how to properly manage them throughout the growing season.

A rake pulling dead leaves for spring cleanup.

5. Spring Garden Soil Prep

Before you start putting seeds and plants in your dirt, it’s essential to prepare the dirt so that it contains the necessary nutrients your plants need to thrive. Keep it simple by following this checklist (this applies to both garden beds and containers).

Turn The Soil

Now it’s time to pull out those gardening tools! Your soil will compact over the winter, and it’s important to loosen it up by turning it. As you turn the soil, remove any debris and dead stalks or root veggies from the previous year.

Test The pH

Honestly, this test isn’t necessary every year, but doing it once every 2-3 years can give you an idea of your soil’s pH levels. Some plants do well in certain pH levels, while those same levels can harm other plants.

Add Soil Amendments

Plants draw nutrients out of your soil in order to grow.

As you prepare your soil in the spring, add some fresh material to the garden beds and mix it in thoroughly to replenish the depleted minerals and nutrients. Compost, peat moss, manure, and grass clippings are all good options.

Top With Mulch

Mulch is organic matter that’s used as a top layer for your garden soil. It helps the soil retain moisture and reduces weed growth.

You can use many different materials as mulch, including wood chips, pine needles, grass clippings, sawdust, and more. As the mulch breaks down over time, it will deposit more organic matter and nutrients into your garden.

A gardener spreading mulch for spring gardening prep.

6. Clean Out Water Features

After the leaves fall in autumn and organic matter turns to sludge over the winter, it’s time to clean your water features thoroughly.

Do a spring clean out following these steps:

Drain them of water
Power wash or scrub them down to remove settled debris
Clean out or replace any filters and pumps
Refill with fresh water
Turn on any pumps
Add your chosen algae control method to maintain a healthy ecosystem

Water features add beauty to your garden; keeping them clean will ensure they continue to add that beauty without breaking down and causing headaches.

7. Consider Your Pests, Both Big and Small, And Plan

Your garden will inevitably play host to insects, mammals, and birds that can help and hinder your garden. Your job as a gardener is to know in advance what pest pressures (big and small) may impede your journey and prepare in advance.

If you are new to your gardening area, ask a neighbor, a local gardening group, or a Reddit community. When we first moved to Nova Scotia, we had to gear up for ticks, potato bugs, cucumber beetles, and squash bugs as they were numerous (compared to what I was used to), and our neighbors were very giving with information.

We planted companion plants with this in mind and used row covers on particularly challenging crops.

Learn More: We have a few guides you may find helpful while trying to plan your offense against pests!

A closeup of the spout of a slow trickle water feature.

Final Thoughts on Spring Gardening

Once you’ve completed all these prep steps, your garden is Spring-ready, and you can put seed to soil. Now that your soil is prepped, and you’ve got your plan in hand, all you’ve got to do is get out there and start planting!

Spring is one of my favorite seasons when it comes to gardening. I love to get out in the fresh air and use my pent-up energy from winter to prepare my gardens!

Spring gardening is a simple process of planning, cleaning out, and prepping your gardening areas, but it’s key to a successful – and fruitful – gardening season!

Spring Gardening: Here’s Everything You Need To Know