The time is coming for spring cleaning, which requires a lot of work in our garden. During this special period we should take care of pruning, cleaning, removing plant residues and raking
Spring in the garden is a very busy period. The effects of our struggles will stay with us throughout the season, so it is worthwhile to properly perform all care activities
One of the basic tasks, which is worth taking care of, is cleaning the entire area around the house along with trimming the plants. At the end of March, just after the period of frost has passed, you should start removing winter covers from plants
Don’t delay this too long because once the first warm days arrive the plants will quickly start to grow. Those that will grow under cover can produce very delicate leaves. This means that even the slightest frost can damage them, which is why it is so important to protect them in the fall.
Uncovering plants is a process that is best done on a windless, cloudy and humid day. It should not be done when the weather is dry. When this happens, it’s really easy to burn leaves that may have already appeared under the cover
Spring in the garden is the time for tidying up flowerbeds and getting the lawn and pond in perfect condition. In the case of flowerbeds, dry stems of perennials and annual plants should be cut back. Pay attention to flowers that have spread too much. Some of them should also be removed so that they do not obstruct other species. This is the perfect time to divide perennials and transplant them to new locations.
The lawn should be raked with a sharp wire rake so that you can easily remove dry stems that form a thick layer. When it is really thick and feels like a layer of felt, you will need to scarify; that is, cut the grass with a scarifier or a rake with teeth that look like knives and then rake it thoroughly. The lawn will grow better as more water and fertiliser reaches the roots. Use a spade to level the edge of the turf. This can be a standard spade or a special one for lawns, with a rounded blade. This will make the turf look really neat
When it comes to the pond, you should clean it, remove withered plants and other debris that fell in from outside during the fall and winter. In case you haven’t done this for a long time and your pond is shallow, it’s a good idea to pick up silt from the bottom. The work can be made easier by using a special pond vacuum cleaner. Failure to take care of silt removal will lead to the tank becoming unnecessarily shallow. In addition the released gas, mainly ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, are dangerous for fish and other creatures that live in the pond every day.
Your garden work should also include pruning bushes and trees. The best time to do this is after the period of frost, around mid-March. It is very important not to prune at a time when birds are nesting. Cutting fruit and ornamental shrubs positively affects their shape, allows them to bloom even more impressively, and also affects their health
If you have shrubs that bloom in spring and early summer, you should gently treat last year’s shoots. It is necessary to remove those keratinized, whose bark is peeling, and their elements are dry, broken or frozen. It is worth applying pruning when the branches are old or grow too densely and shade each other.
