Spring gardening jobs

Say goodbye to winter – it's time to get your garden ready for a blooming season! Here are some top spring jobs to get you started.

Spring into planting

It’s important to get new shrubs and trees into the ground as soon as possible, before the hot weather really hits. Give them the best start by taking the plant out of the pot and, if necessary, trimming roots. Sit the plant in a bucket of water to soak the roots while preparing the planting hole. Clear grass away and dig a hole two to three times the width of the root area. Fill with water, check that drainage is adequate and remedy if required. Mix in plenty of compost or aged manure. Remember, this is your one chance to make below-ground improvements. Once the plant is in its new home, water well and mulch. Check regularly and water when the soil starts to dry out. The first few weeks are the most critical and daily watering may be required. Gradually lengthen the time between watering until the plant can look after itself.

spring gardening jobs: planting trees and shrubs — Image credit: iStock

Rescue geraniums

Geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) might have survived the winter but can be looking pretty sad at this time of year. So it’s time to give them an overall prune, removing sections with spotty leaves and cutting back to healthy-looking growth. Sprinkle with slow-release fertiliser pellets. Dispose of diseased offcuts and, if desired, use some of the healthy offcuts for propagation.

De-thatch the lawn

Thatch is the layer of dead material that builds up at the base of grass plants in the lawn. It particularly affects running grasses such as buffalo, kikuyu, zoysia and couch. Thatch holds moisture and reduces air movement at soil level, which can encourage fungal disease. Start by mowing the lawn lower than usual before using a sturdy rake to remove the dead material. Mow again with a catcher, or rake to pick up the dead material, then water and fertilise the lawn. If you have a very large lawn, consider employing a professional or hire a mechanical aerator to do the job.

Grow edible flowers

Hannah Moloney shares one of her top tips for the edible garden:

Consider including edible flowers in and around your vegetable garden and orchard to attract beneficial pollinators, add eye candy and provide some ingredients for your next salad. Edible options include calendula, borage, alyssum, heartsease and, one of my favourites, nasturtiums. If you let them go to seed they’ll keep self-seeding across your garden, which I like to encourage as they’re not invasive in my area and it means I always have a colourful treat for me and the beneficial bugs! (Check if weedy in your local area.)