Spring Gardening Tips
Spring is one of the most exciting times in the gardening calendar. As days lengthen and temperatures rise, plants begin to wake from their winter rest, and there’s plenty you can do to help your garden burst into life. Here are some essential spring gardening tips.
1. Start with a Spring Clean
Clear away dead foliage, fallen leaves, and winter debris from beds and borders. This helps reduce pests hiding over winter and gives emerging plants the space and light they need to grow. Be gentle, though—lots of beneficial insects may still be sleeping in sheltered spots.
2. Refresh Your Soil
Spring is the perfect time to top up beds with compost or well-rotted manure. Mulching helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and gives plants a healthy boost as they start growing again.
3. Begin Sowing Seeds
March and April are prime months for sowing hardy annuals, vegetables, and herbs. You can start seeds indoors or in a greenhouse, then harden them off before planting out. By May, many tender plants—like tomatoes, courgettes, and cosmos—can be sown or planted outdoors once frost danger has passed.
4. Divide and Replant Perennials
Spring is an ideal time to divide clumps of perennials such as hostas, daylilies, and grasses. This keeps plants healthy, encourages more blooms, and helps fill out your borders for free.
5. Keep an Eye on Frost
Late frosts are common in March and even April in many parts of the UK. Protect young shoots and tender plants with fleece or cloches on chilly nights, and hold off planting out frost-sensitive plants until mid- to late May.
6. Feed Hungry Plants
As growth begins, plants need extra energy. Use a general-purpose feed for shrubs and perennials, and apply a specialist feed for roses, fruit bushes, and potted plants. Regular feeding early in the season helps boost flowering and overall health.
7. Tackle Weeds Early
Weeds begin growing quickly in spring, so keep on top of them before they get out of hand. Removing them now prevents competition for moisture and nutrients as your plants get established. How to Keep Weeds Down
8. Support Early Growth
Install plant supports—such as stakes, frames, or hoops—before plants get too tall. This prevents damage and keeps everything tidy as the garden fills out.
9. Refresh Containers and Hanging Baskets
Spring is a great time to repot container plants with fresh compost. You can also start planting up hanging baskets and patio pots with summer bedding, keeping them under cover until frosts have passed.
With longer days, warmer weather, and plants bursting back to life, spring is the perfect time to get stuck into the garden. A little preparation and care during March, April, and May will set the tone for a vibrant, healthy, and productive gardening year.
Summer Gardening Tips
Autumn Gardening Tips
Winter Gardening Tips