GARDEN | 50 PLUS MAGAZINE
Preparing your garden for Spring Planning is the key to success in the spring garden says garden writer Julia Heaton. Sunshine days of summer may seem an age away but spring certainly isn’t. So now is the ideal time to get some basic jobs out of the way in preparation for the new season and the pruning, planting and seed sowing ahead. Here are some of my essential tips to give you that all important head-start. Get to grips with tools If you didn’t clean your hand tools (rakes, spades, trowels) properly on their last outing go ahead and remove any remnants of soil from the heads using a bristle brush. Leave them to soak in a mix of water and 10 per cent bleach for around half an hour, then dry them off and wipe down with an oily rag before storing.
snails emerging from hibernation and eggs preparing to hatch. Look for groups of tiny yellow and white eggs in sheltered places like underneath stones, shrubs or in the crown of perennial plants. Then leave them unprotected in the sunlight so that other wildlife can feed on them. Beer traps are one of the many options for dealing with the adults.You could also create some dark, damp, places where they’ll love to hide out during the day – then all you need do is collect them. There are also deterrents like crushed egg shells, copper tape and coffee grounds. Consider also introducing plants that slugs avoid like agapanthus and Dicentra spectabilis.
As well as cleaning in water and detergent any bladed tools – like pruning knives, secateurs and garden shears – will benefit from sharpening and oiling so they provide nice clean cuts and stop the risk of spreading disease between plants. This will also make your tools easier to use and ensure they last, saving you money in the long term. There’s also garden machinery, like the lawnmower, to check over. The latter needs to be in good working order and safe so make sure electric cables aren’t worn or chafed and that blades are clean and sharp. If you have a petrol mower it’s a good idea to drain any fuel off as it will have deteriorated during the cold winter weather. Remove slugs and snails Don’t wait for pests to make a meal of your perennials. As temperatures in the ground start to rise hunt down slugs and 26
Test the soil Once you’ve done a soil test you’ll know which plants will and won’t flourish in your garden. Tests from garden centres will tell you the pH level of the soil (whether alkaline, neutral or acid) so you can adjust it accordingly and make a more informed decision about what to grow.
