Mark Cullen’s ultimate spring checklist
By Mark Cullen on Mar 14, 2016
1) Start seeds indoors, to plant out in spring
It is a lot of fun and a great way to engage kids in the hobby of gardening at virtually any age. Successful seed starting combines quality materials and good timing. And of course – seeds! Be sure to sow each variety of plant according to its needs. To do this it is important that you check the instructions carefully to ensure you are not jumping the gun. Most often there is an indication of recommended sowing times on the packet. Sowing seeds too early will result in ‘leggy’ plants longing for the outdoors. Sowing seeds indoors too late can result in small plants that may not reach maturity during your growing season. For the best success rate in starting seeds, use high quality seeds, clean seeding trays and a seed-start germination mix. By growing vegetables and annuals from seed, you get a head start on the season, save some money (vs. buying them as transplants later in spring) and you have a great opportunity to try new varieties. There is a lot of satisfaction in starting seedlings indoors while the weather is still bitterly cold outdoors. What you will need: Grow Light Stand [or a south facing window], seeding trays, Pro Mix Soilless Mix, a watering can.2) Garden soil prep
Take a look at your garden soil before you do any planting this spring. 90% of the success you achieve in the garden is the result of good soil prep. Your soil should be loose and friable with the ability to drain freely. IF this does not describe your garden soil, I recommend that you add generous quantities of organic compost. By ‘generous quantities,’ I suggest that you add 4 to 6 cm. (2 to 3 inches) of compost or triple mix to the surface of your garden beds. When I am planting I always add compost to the planting hole. This feeds the soil and introduces billions of micro-organisms to the garden. Well-fed soil breeds strong, disease-tolerant plants. Insects are less prone to feed on healthy plants as the natural defenses of the plant are working at their optimum. What you will need: Compost (buy from a reliable supplier!), shovel, gardening gloves.
3) Lawn care.
The best method of growing a healthy, weed-free lawn is to produce thick, healthy grass that will shade out weeds and crabgrass. The first step this spring is to use a spring-tined rake to remove any debris, dead grass, leaves, etc. from the lawn. Add these to your compost pile. Secondly, spread a 2 to 4cm layer of triple mix over the lawn, concentrating on depressions and thin areas. Sow a quality grass seed, such as CIL Golfgreen, at a rate of 1 kilogram for every 80 square metres. Keep the area watered and evenly moist until the grass seed germinates. If your lawn is in good shape, simply repair any bare spots and fertilize with a quality spring fertilizer with slow release nitrogen and iron, like Golfgreen. The slow release nitrogen will last for up to 10 weeks – no need to repeat application until late spring or early summer. What you will need: Spring-tined rake, Triple mix, grass seed, hose, sprinkler, spring lawn fertilizer.4) Tool maintenance
Start the garden season off with a clean, sharp and well-maintained set of tools. This is a great time of year to visit your local hardware store and replace any missing or damaged tools you need for the growing season (I encourage you to check out the new Backhoe, available at Home Hardware this spring).Clean out the lawn mower deck with a hand-held mower scraper. A dirty lawn mower deck can harbour disease and reduce the efficiency of the mower. Sharpen mower blades to ensure grass blades are cut cleanly using a sharpening file. Dull blades will cause the grass blades to tear, weakening the plants and providing an opportunity for diseases to enter the lawn. Sharpen the cutting blade on hand pruners with a carbide sharpener and lubricate all moving parts to make pruning jobs easier. Run a file over the cutting edge of shovels, spades and hoes to make quick work of gardening chores.What you will need: Lawn mower scraper, carbide sharpener, gardener’s file,lubricating oil.Take time to have some fun in your garden – it is after all Spring!!!Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author and broadcaster. Get his free monthly newsletter at markcullen.com. Look for his new best seller, The New Canadian Garden' published by Dundurn Press. Follow him on Twitter @MarkCullen4 and Facebook.
