10 Early Spring Gardening Tips for a Thriving Garden

Early spring offers the perfect opportunity to refresh your garden and lay the groundwork for a productive summer. As the temperatures start rising, it's time to tackle some essential gardening tasks to help your garden flourish in the upcoming season. Spring is considered the most active time in the garden after freezing weather. As a gardener, you should go outside and use all your energy stored over winter to tidy up your garden, prepare your beds, do some pruning, repair hardscaping, and start the season off right.

Here's a list of ten essential spring gardening tasks to start the spring season successfully.

1. Do a Complete Spring Cleanup

Early spring can be unpredictable—one day, it's rainy, and the next, it's freezing or even snowing. So, whenever you get a warm, sunny, spring-like day, take advantage of it. Head outside and start tidying up your garden. Winter leaves can clutter a garden with plant debris, such as fallen leaves, branches, ornamental grasses, and other debris.

Early spring is the ideal time to remove any dead plants and all the plant debris. Cleaning your garden beds will help prevent pests and diseases. This is also a good time to clean debris from ponds or other water features. In addition, all weeds should be pulled out from their roots to stop them from spreading. Pesky weeds are among the first things to emerge at the start of the season. We recommend removing weeds after a rainy day as the soil will be soft and easier to work with.

2. Address Hardscaping Issues

Before the ground is prepared to start work in spring, engage yourself in hardscaping tasks. This is the perfect time to level your steppingstones, repair broken retaining walls, clean your gutters, and fix fences, trellises, benches, decks, raised beds, or window boxes. These tasks are much easier to handle in late winter to early spring while your plants are still dormant and in the resting stage.

Moreover, early spring is also an ideal time to install new raised garden beds, renovate existing ones, and tidy up beds' edging. When temperatures increase, consider applying a fresh coat of paint, stain, or sealant to hardscaping elements made of metal or wood.

3. Add Compost, Soil Amendments, and New Soil to Your Garden

The next crucial task is to test your garden soil and determine what nutrients it needs based on results. Then, stock up on organic fertilizers, compost, and other soil amendments. A soil test will help determine where and how much fertilizer is needed. When new growth emerges in spring, it is the ideal time to apply fertilizer around the base of shrubs and roses. Use a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer and gently work it into the top layer of soil.

Once your garden beds are cleaned and your deliveries of new soil amendments, compost, and other organic materials have arrived, it's time to start enriching your soil. Add organic matter to improve soil structure and fertility.

By planning your garden thoughtfully and practicing proper crop rotation, it will be easier to determine which areas need specific types of soil additions.

If you're feeling unsure about adding specific soils to different areas for your plants, don't worry. Add a few inches of compost to the top of your existing soil and mix it in.

4. Refresh Hard Surfaces with Paint

After cleaning and fixing all hardscaping elements, stain or paint them to protect them for the upcoming months. Before painting, prepare surfaces by removing dirt, rust, or peeling paint. It's important to use a paint or stain explicitly formulated for exterior use and suitable for the material you're working with, such as metal, wood, or brick.

Exterior stains and garden paints come in a wide range of stunning colors. So why not have fun adding vibrant pops of color to your garden furniture, sheds, planters, and fence? Brighten up all these surfaces and get creative with decorating plant pots or even painting a custom mural on a wall.

5. Prune Shrubs and Trees

Get out your pruners, as this is the best time to prune shrubs and trees. Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches to promote healthy growth. For flowering shrubs, wait until they bloom to prune them, so you don't cut off flower buds.

Most perennials need to be pruned in early spring to revitalize them for the new growing season. Prune winter-flowering shrubs and climbers, such as Lonicera and Ribes, once they've finished flowering, but make sure to prune them before their spring buds begin to emerge. Lightly prune plants like Hamamelis, holly, and bay to remove dead or diseased stems.

6. Divide Perennials

Divide your perennial plants in early spring to promote healthy growth and more blooms. Perennials can become overcrowded in a few years. With cooler temperatures and frequent rainfall, this time is perfect for dividing or transplanting perennials and shrubs that have outgrown their space or need to be relocated. Gently dig up the plant, isolate the roots, and replant the divisions in nutrient-rich soil. You can start as soon as the ground thaws, even when the plants are still dormant.

Dividing perennials is a fantastic way to get more free plants for your garden. Although many perennials can be divided in both spring and fall, it's important to research the specific plant to determine the best time. Dividing the roots in slightly cooler weather typically leads to great results, as the plants are less likely to experience heat stress or transplant shock.

7. Plant Spring Plants and Summer Bulbs

Now you have cleaned up your garden, amended your soil, and prepared your garden tools, it's time for planting. Plant your favorite summer-flowering bulbs and seeds. Plant earliest spring crops like peas and arugula. Choose bright, vibrant flowers like dahlias, sunflowers, and lilies to infuse your garden with stunning colors and textures this summer.

You can also plant spring bedding plants, like primroses, to keep the garden vibrant throughout the season. Make sure to deadhead plants regularly during spring to encourage long-lasting blooms.

8. Inspect Your Irrigation System

Winter is behind us, warmer temperatures have arrived, and it's time to get the sprinklers back on. To ensure your irrigation system is in good condition, it's a good idea to inspect your system components in early spring. Check the sprinkler heads, valves, controller, tubing, and other components. Test the system to ensure it runs smoothly. Replace or repair any damaged components.

9. Check and Clean Your Garden Tools

This is one of the most important early spring gardening chores that is often overlooked. Make sure all your gardening tools are in top condition. Clean your tools, sharpen the blades, and oil them to make your tasks easier in upcoming growing seasons. Don't forget to replace any broken or worn-out tools. Also, disinfect your pots and seed trays.

10. Set Up Necessary Supports like Stakes, Trellises

If you brought a trellis in the garden for the winter, early spring is the perfect time to get it back outside. Apply a fresh coat of paint if needed before putting them to use again. Install stakes, trellises, or cages for plants needing support. For plants like peas, beans, peonies, delphiniums, or other tall flowers that need support, now is the time to set up their supports.

The Bottom Line

Here is a list of spring gardening tips and tasks that should be completed to keep the chaos away from your garden in the upcoming growing seasons. Early spring is a perfect time to come outside, enjoy the sunshine after spending the entire winter indoors, and give your garden much-needed care. By handling these gardening tasks in the early season, you'll be able to create a healthy, thriving garden that will bloom beautifully throughout the summer. Happy gardening!