After the long winter months, it’s finally time to start getting ready for the warmer weather. As much as you’ll need adjusting, so will your fruit garden. This is the time most plants blossom and the season of tasty fruits will be upon us soon enough. It’s up to you to do everything you can to help your little garden sprout and get adjusted to the warmer temperatures. If you do so, it’s bound to blossom more easily and be even more beautiful than last year.
1. Prune the trees
If you’ve already got an established orchard, you’re bound to have some trees that need pruning. With a pair of sharp gardening shears, you’ll be done in no time, regardless of how tedious this job may seem. Pruning can be done in all times of the year, but your plants will probably benefit from it most in early spring. After all, they just spent the whole winter growing out of shape.
While they’re still not covered in leaves, you can easily cut the overgrown branches and refresh the look and feel of your trees. This will help them grow stronger later in spring as well as rejuvenate their health. Of course, it’ll also be much easier for you to shape them any way you want when there’s nothing in the way.
2. Do some spring cleaning
Cleaning out your shed is as important as cleaning out your garden. When you’re done with weeding and disposing of old plants, turn your attention to the shed. Just like your garden, it’s spent the last few months being dormant. Devoting some attention to cleaning it out can prove to be beneficial for your health as much as for the shed. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time there so it’s not very wise to leave it dusty and full of dirt. Once you’re done vacuuming, polishing, dusting, and sweeping, it’s time to turn to the tools.
Is anything too old to be used this year? Rusty? Throw it out or find a way to restore it. Just don’t get too sentimental as, tt this point, you’d just be collecting garbage. All of the equipment you still can use should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed off. This will help preserve the metal and slow down the rusting process. It’s advisable to do this at the end and beginning of each gardening season. It becomes even more important if you neglected to do it at the beginning of winter.
3. Get into composting
If you haven’t started composting yet, this spring is the time to do it. The goal of every gardener is to have an orchard full of plump and delicious fruit. Organic fertilizer can help you easily achieve this dream. Composting is also helpful for reducing waste and really keeping things eco-friendly. Instead of disposing of the gardening waste and filling land wastes, you’ll be recycling and investing in the future of your garden.
A composting bin should be set up somewhere close to the garden, but far enough so as not to put a damper on the aesthetic aspect of your orchard. Compost also tends to have a very specific smell, so it’s wise to keep it a bit further away with a proper lid intact. You can go about creating your own bin from the materials you have at home, but some gardeners find it easier to just purchase a bin from the store. Of course, it all depends on your preference, time, will, and eco-awareness.
4. Introduce natural pest control
With spring on the way and nature waking up, you’re bound to see a lot of unwanted visitors in your fruit garden. Bugs love the produce as much as you do. Of course, they have the tendency to destroy everything as well as to spread any disease they might bring with them. As you can see, it’s imperative to have some pest control in the garden this spring. You should avoid spraying your plants with pesticides as that will only harm them as well as the bugs.
One way to do so is to make little habitats for nature’s finest: birds, toads, and hedgehogs. As they are natural predators of bugs, they’ll take care of your pest problem for you. A lovely birdbath is always a nice addition to the orchard, as are toad houses. You can also pile up some logs and leaves to attract hedgehogs. You’ll just have to be careful not to scare off the critters in the beginning. Once they see you mean no harm, they’ll be a standard part of your garden. Start your friendship by leaving out food.
5. Prepare the soil
The essence of growing your fruit garden this spring is to prepare the soil adequately. To do so, you must understand that the ground needs to be dry. This might be the most important step as winter tends to leave everything damp, especially if it snowed. Fruit trees do best with dry soil. To help you in the process, you’ll probably need some proper equipment.
You can easily get what you need from online stores such as Hoselink, which offer everything from gloves to hoses. The thing is, it’s not very good to work with your bare hands, so you might as well get back up.As well as preparing the soil, you should also make sure to choose the right spot for planting your fruit trees. You should choose a place with good circulation. The wind will help dry the leaves and stems, letting your fruit trees thrive. Moisture can also help spread disease, which is another reason to keep things dry.
Conclusion
No matter what some people may think, your garden feels the love and care you show it. It rewards you with splendid colours and tasty produce you get to enjoy each year. Fruit, especially, is sensitive to the months to come, so, to ensure the best quality produce you can make sure to show your garden how much you love it. Spring preparation is no easy task but we’re confident you’re up to the challenge now that you’ve had some guidance.
About Author:
Liam Smith is a young and aspiring Australian blogger with a passion for everything related to home, design and lifestyle. He has a B.Sc. in Interior design and is an avid reader.
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