Prepare for Spring - for inside and out!

After the long hours of darkness, we're finally at a place where the sun won't set before 5pm! FINALLY! So that means Spring is finally here, and we need to get ahead of the game for our gardens and for our houseplants to thrive in the new year.

The garden

'Weeding'

When you have your first primrose sighting, you know it is springtime and the days are getting warmer. With this, 'weeds' will start to wake up and grow in those places you did not want them to. Being vigilant, spotting them early and dealing with them straight away will benefit you throughout the year. 

Mulching

If you have flower beds, mulch these with leaf mulch, straw or topsoil to keep 'weeds' at bay, and give your flower beds extra nutrients to have a strong year of growth and bloom. If you have roses, they like well-rotted manure as their mulch - anything like bark chippings is a bit too acidic for them. 

If you want to create new beds this year, mark them out, turn the soil and mulch the beds for the same reasons as above. Remember that if you block the light below, the 'weeds' won't grow.

Planning

Now is a really great time to plan your beds, what you want to grow - this could even be food and what you would want from your garden. Planning for your garden will benefit you in the future, and you will be able to create a cohesive space when you plan. Going in blind will only lead to mistakes.

Key things to think about when you plan:

• Find out what direction your garden is facing.
• Figure out what areas are shady and what is full sun. Do you have trees in the way that may create shade etc.
• What conditions does your garden deal with? Would it flood easily? Is it open and gets blasted with wind? Is it a walled garden and sheltered? 
• How is the soil? Dig a hole and look at the soil. Is it clay-based? Fill the hole with water and see how long it takes to drain away - this will help you understand how well-draining your soil is.
• All these factors influence what plants you can place where. Pick the right plants for the spot to avoid plant death and disappointment.

With the above research and your planning, you are setting yourself up for great success! 

Houseplants

Repotting

As the days are getting warmer it's a good time to start repotting your plants. The difference between repotting in the warmer months compared to the winter is that plants will recover faster with the comforting warm temperatures. So get dirty and repot those plants! Doing this now will allow your plants to have an undisturbed growing season ahead.

Feeding

Your plants are ready to grow, and if you haven't been feeding your plants through winter, now is the time to start doing so. Think of feeding your plants like an energy drink or steroids - the feed gives them a boost in growing stronger and bigger. Seaweed is a great base food as it is full of nitrogen, which helps leafy plants be leafy! 

Watering

Watering is still slow until the days are much warmer, and drying your plants out quicker. So keep a watchful eye on how much water you are giving your plants. We love to use the 'baking a cake' test to know when to water your plants. Pop a wooden stick into your plant pot, give it a little twizzle and pull it out. If the stick is covered in dirt then don't water, if it comes out clean, it's time to water.