The weather is starting to get a little warmer here in New Jersey, and while it may still be a bit early to start planting, there's plenty you can do to get yourself prepared for a bountiful growing season!
First and foremost, walk around your garden and take stock of your conditions. Do your planting beds need cleaning out? Does your soil need amending? Maybe you want to extend a bed or add a new one--this is the time for planning!
This is NOT the time to remove leaf litter or cut grasses and spent stalks though! Countless critters like beneficial insects overwinter in this plant matter until temperatures are consistently around 50 degrees. Instead, use this time to get your tools in order!
We all do it--we get excited to garden, but forget to prep, and then when the day comes, we find ourselves running out to the store to get new pruners, rakes, shovels, etc. rather than spending time in the soil. Save yourself a future headache by gathering your tools before you need them! Fortunately, you'll find all the equipment you need at Bountiful Gardens--we are your one-stop garden shop, after all!
While it may not be time for planting seeds just yet, you can certainly purchase them! Our Lawrenceville location boasts our biggest seed selection so you can get ahead of the game! We also have plenty of seed starting kits so you can germinate your plants indoors, allowing them to strengthen before they face Spring in the garden.
Do you have spring ephemerals in the garden like daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and crocuses? Make sure they aren't covered with debris that would prevent them from flourishing! Remove any fallen branches or overgrowth that could stunt their growth or shade them out.
This is a great time to stock up on gardening soils! We carry a wide selection of soils for a vast array of planting projects. Want to make your own soil? Start an organic compost pile in the far corner of the yard!
If you have woody perennials that bloom on new growth like panicle hydrangeas, lavender, butterfly bush and others, this is a good time to prune them back to make way for this year's flowers! Otherwise these plants can get a bit leggy over time and lose their shape.
When temperatures have warmed a little more and you get any spent stems and leaf litter out of the way, you'll want to give the soil in your planting beds a nice tilling. Soil tends to compact over Winter, which can make it harder for young plants to establish and flourish. With a tiller or garden rake, loosen up the first few inches of soil to make way for your new plants.
There's so much to look forward to this time of year! Come down to Bountiful Gardens today to get your gardening plans in order. Need help? Our team is always excited to offer the best advice you can find. We're wishing you an incredible season of growth!!
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