It's Official: Spring Has Just Begun

It's getting warmer again, and your plants are starting to wake up from their winter slumber. Now is the time for them to bloom and turn your garden into a spectacle of colors and aromas.

But you know that to achieve that, you need to offer them the necessary care.

Do you know what we're referring to and where to start?

If you have doubts, don't worry. In this article, we will explain all the care your garden needs during spring and the order in which you should apply it.

Additionally, we will also look at some specific tips in case you have a lawn.

Ready?

So grab your rake and gloves, and let's get started.

Spring Garden Care

First, let's look at the general tasks you should carry out in the garden once spring begins.

1. General Check-up of Your Plants

The first thing we'll do is assess the impact the cold has had on our plants.

After the winter months, you may find dried flowers (if you have species that bloom in the cold), plants with withered stems... even some remains of dried leaves that have accumulated since the last cleaning.

That's why the first thing we'll do is review all these points to perform a general cleaning of the garden.

2. Check the Condition of Your Tools

It's likely been a while since you used your pruning shears and the rest of your tools.

And during that period of disuse, the cold and humidity may have deteriorated them.

So, before getting to work, it's important to check them and make sure they're in perfect condition (sharp, rust-free...).

Keep in mind that dull shears, for example, can damage your plants when pruning them and leave them more exposed to pest and disease attacks.

3. Prune Plants That Need Trimming

Towards the end of winter, it's advisable to do a cleaning prune of your garden.

With the cold, it's common for your plants to have dead stems and leaves. In the case of stems, you'll notice them because they're more brittle and have turned black or brown under the bark.

Remove them to allow the rest of the plant to grow more vigorously.

Remember that you should also do this same work on your trees and shrubs.

4. Check the Automatic Irrigation (There Could Be Leaks!)

With the cold and rain, the irrigation system usually remains inactive or with very intermittent use.

That's why, now that the heat is returning and your plants will demand more water, it's important to check the system for:

- Leaks and run-offs: Water losses can cause waterlogging that suffocates plant roots (besides inflating your bill). This often happens if there was any water residue left in the system pipes that froze in the cold.
- Clogs: Sometimes, the irrigation nozzles get clogged with soil residues or small pebbles. Check them to make sure all plants receive the amount of water they need.
- Failures in the timer: It's not common, but it can happen that during the period of disuse your irrigation timer has suffered some breakdown. Or it may have run out of charge if you use a battery model. That's why it's important to turn it on before the watering season begins and make sure it works fine.

Remember also to check the watering schedules that are programmed, in case you need to make any changes.

5. It's Planting Time

Now that the cold is fading away, it's time to renew the garden with those species that bloom in spring, such as:

- Pansies.
- Petunias.
- Lilies.
- Roses.

Additionally, it may be a good time to transplant species that you have in a pot and want to move to the garden.

This way, the roots will have time to anchor and prepare for the arrival of the heat.

6. Fertilize Your Plants to Start Spring with Energy

At this time, your plants are starting to emerge from their winter dormancy and are preparing to display their flowers.

This is a process that consumes a lot of energy for them, so you should pay special attention to fertilization.

Apply fertilizer to help them grow healthier and develop a greater volume of flowers.

The type of fertilizer you use will depend on each species (if you have any doubts about which one is needed in each case, don't hesitate to ask us).

7. A Round of Pesticides Will Save You Trouble

With the heat, plants won't be the only things waking up in your garden: it also means the arrival of some unwelcome visitors, such as:

- Ants.
- Scale insects.
- Mites.
- Powdery mildew and other fungi.
- Aphids.

All these pests pose a risk to your plants, so it's important to prevent their appearance with some type of phytosanitary product.

It's common to use a generic phytosanitary product, but if you detect any specific pests in your garden, you can look for a more specific one.

Spring Lawn Care

The lawn also regains its energy during the high-temperature season.

But, as you know, this plant requires special care to recover from the harsh winter conditions.

Above all, the care we give to the lawn during spring should promote the growth of the root system (that is, the development of the roots).

This way, we'll ensure it's in good shape when summer arrives.

These are the steps you should follow:

1. Weed Removal

During winter, weeds take over your garden.

Some of these species, like dandelions, may look nice to you, but their presence is not a good sign.

The reason is simple: these opportunistic plants spread rapidly throughout the garden and steal nutrients from other species.

If you want your lawn to grow healthy, you first need to eliminate all these weeds.

You can use a specific herbicide for this (in some cases, it can be mixed in the fertilizer itself), or, if there aren't many, remove them by hand.

2. Deep Raking

As mentioned above, by raking away the remains of dried leaves and flowers, we prevent the lawn from developing fungal infestations.

But also, we'll be removing moss, a species that tends to colonize the lawn during the cold season and can suffocate it.

Try to do a deep raking that scratches the soil to remove all the moss.

3. If Compacted, Aerate and Scarify

Lawn subjected to foot traffic or that hasn't received maintenance for a long period is prone to compaction.

That means the roots become tangled, forming a solid layer known as a "thatch."

This thatch suffocates the lawn and prevents water from penetrating the soil, increasing its water needs.

To break the thatch layer, you need to do two things:

- Aerate it: by making vertical punctures in the soil, we allow oxygen to reach the deeper layers of the soil.
- Scarify it: we make deep incisions in the soil that break the thatch and allow the roots to grow normally.

After doing these tasks, we recommend covering the lawn with a layer of mulch to fill in the gaps.

4. Reseed Areas with Less Dense Grass

The most obvious sign that the soil is compacted is when areas where the grass grows

unevenly, or doesn't grow at all, start to appear.

In these cases, after having decompacted the area as explained in the previous point, you should reseed to restore that area of the lawn.

5. Your Lawn Also Needs Some Food (Fertilization)

Like all other plants, during spring, it's advisable to apply a layer of fertilizer to the lawn.

It's best to use a slow-release fertilizer, which is distributed over several weeks or even months.

This will make the lawn grow slower, resulting in fewer mows.

6. Water Again (According to Your Lawn's Needs)

Depending on the type of grass you have in your garden, you'll need to water it every 10 to 15 days.

In addition, remember that spaced and deep waterings promote root development.

And deeper roots provide a stronger lawn, more resistant to drought, and with less need for watering during the summer.

The Most Important Point for Caring for Your Garden in Spring: Planning

Now you know what you need to do to help your garden recover from winter and display all its colors.

But do you have everything you need at hand?

Before the work season begins, we recommend that you:

- Check if you need to acquire new tools.
- Decide which plants you're going to sow this year (if you're lacking ideas, take a look at our catalog).
- Make sure you have the fertilizer and phytosanitary products you need.

With all this, you'll be ready to start taking care of your plants.

And if you have any questions, remember that you can contact us for advice.

We'll be happy to help you keep your plants healthy and happy.