How to prepare a garden in spring: When, how and what to plant

The reason why it is very fashionable today to have your own garden is because of the many advantages it offers: We grow our own fruits and vegetables, we spend time outdoors and surrounded by nature, we begin to better understand the land and plants, etc. Despite being a really nice and admirable hobby, it also takes a lot of effort and work. In this article we are going to explain how to prepare a garden in spring, so you can get it ready to grow your vegetables and enjoy them for the next few months.

To clarify all the doubts that may arise, we are going to comment on when you can start preparing the garden, how to do it step by step and we will also give some examples of plants that can be sown in spring. So if you are thinking of setting up a garden or want to renew yours in spring, I recommend that you keep reading.

When do you start preparing the garden?

Before explaining how to prepare a garden in spring, we must first be clear about when we should start with this task. Of course, it depends mainly on the country or region in which we are, since the determining factor to be fixing the farmland is the climate. This task can generally be started in early spring, but it will depend on the weather. If the frosts have not yet passed, it will not do any good, since the plants would freeze to death. Once the risk of extreme cold has passed, it is the ideal time to start gardening.

How is the ground prepared for planting?

Once winter comes to an end, so does this season’s garden. When there is no longer a risk of frost, it is time to fix the land for the next crops. But how? Below we explain step by step how to prepare a garden in spring so that you can enjoy delicious vegetables and fruits for the next few months.

1. Remove crops

First of all we must remove crops and weeds that we do not want of the land so that it is clean and empty for the next plants. It is very important to carry out this task when the soil is in temperature. What does this mean? That it must have been between three and four days since the last rain. In this way we avoid breaking the soil structure, since the earth will not be too wet or too dry. In the event that we are in a place where the rains are rather scarce, we can water the soil and let the days go by, the effect will be the same. To take advantage of the collected plant remains we have two options: Pour it into the compost and thus use it to fertilize, or feed it to the chickens, if we have it.

2. Pay

Once the land is clean of unwanted plants, it’s time to fertilize it. For this we will add two to four inches of compost, worm castings, or manure cured to the surface of the soil in which we plan to grow new vegetables. It is not necessary that everything be uniform, since it will be necessary to mix it, as we will explain below.

3. Stir and mix

When we have already spread the compost, it is time to remove all the soil corresponding to the width of the shovel until it reaches about a foot deep. We put the extracted into a wheelbarrow or a bucket to use it later. Then we will start another row and we will throw the earth extracted from there to the first row already worked. Thus we are breaking the clods, causing the soil to be very loose. As expected, in the last row we will add the earth that we have saved in the wheelbarrow or in the bucket. While we carry out this laborious task, it is important to remove all the stones that we find. These can be very annoying to plants when they have to grow. Finally we have to pave the ground with a rake.

4. Quilting

A good trick to prevent weeds from growing and the soil from losing moisture is to mulch it. We can do this with barks, with straws or with the material that best suits us. But beware: if the planting we want to do is directly from seed, we must wait until the plants have left the ground before mulching it. If not, they most likely will not grow.

5. Organize the plantations

Although many people do not attach much importance to sowing schedule, this can be really useful and will help us organize the plantations. In addition, there are several applications today that facilitate this task. Not only will it be easier for us to know when to plant which vegetables, but also to plan the rotations and crop associations. This task basically consists of learning how to make the most of the garden.

6. Sow and water

Last now only sowing and irrigation remain. Generally, the earth retains moisture for a long time, but as it gets warmer it will also be necessary to add more water. We can install a drip irrigation system or water ourselves every two or three days, depending on the weather. Obviously, this task is not necessary when it has rained.

What can be sown in the garden in spring?

Now that we know how to prepare a garden in spring, It is time to choose the vegetables that we want to grow. In spring we have many options. Below we will list the most popular garden plants that can be planted at this time of year:

Now we just have to get down to work! You can leave us in the comments which are your favorite vegetables for the spring garden.