How to Prepare Your Metal Raised Garden Beds for Spring
Anew growing season is approaching. To decrease your amount of work throughout the following spring frenzy, here is a complete guide to prepare your metal raised garden beds for spring planting.
Eight things to do before planting in metal raised garden beds
1. Garden Bed Clean-Up
Have a general tidy up, get rid of weeds, fallen branches, dead leaves, as well as other debris from flower beds and borders. Remove the old dead growth of deciduous grasses and herbaceous perennials. Put those dead organic matter you’ve cleared away into your compost pile or container to break down. Get rid of any weeds you can see and either burn them or put them in your bin. Don’t compost them as the seeds will germinate and cause you more problems later on. Before pulling any weeds, wait until the soil dries if it’s still wet from winter because you could damage the soil structure.
Dry soil also keeps the texture aerated and help plants flourish. If you don’t know whether it’s dry or not, take a handful of soil and try to shape it into a ball. If the ball crumbles into pieces easily, you’re good to go. If not, your soil isn’t dry enough. Nevertheless, bear in mind that several weeds can be beneficial to producing outstanding soil and garden ecology. If you have one of these 5 weeds(including Broadleaf Plantain, Chickweed, Lamb’s Quarters, White Clover and Dandelion) compost them in place.
Also read: 5 All-Natural Ways to Keep Your Garden Bed Weed-Free.
2. Add Compost To Garden Beds
Match the particular product to the plant type and to any particular nutrient needs based on a soil test. Add a 3- to 4-inch layer of compost on your metal raised garden beds, then use a digging fork or broadfork to gently work it right into the soil. If you put your compost in place while soil is still warm, the microbes and beneficial soil-dwelling critters will start working right away to break it down and prepare it for spring. After a long growing season, fortifying or re-mediating your soil will balance and strengthen the soil to get ready for upcoming spring planting.
3. Prepare New Garden Beds
Would you like to extend your garden? Now it’s a right time to map out some new space, move and build new beds to display your splendid new plants. You can measure your usable space and use graph paper to plan things. You might be surprised how large space you have when you adjust your garden a little bit. If you’re going to buy more raised garden beds, i would suggest you choose Zn-Al-Mg Metal Raised Garden Beds(Why Do You Need Aluzinc Metal Garden Bed). If there is enough place to plant, larger metal garden bed is perfect for you to grow more veggies and other plants.
4. Remove Broken Trees And Shrubs
Trim off any kind of busted, dead or storm-damaged branches during winter. Additionally, clip the tips off of any kind of evergreens that have actually endured suggestion diebacks from winter's cold.
5. Start Sowing Specific Seeds Indoors
In January and February, it’s a great time to start sowing some seeds indoors. For indoor growing, you’ll need to prepare seed starting trays and some good potting soil for seed growing. Maintain your seeds in a warm room with plenty of light and dampen the soil routinely. Please follow the directions on the back of the seed packets for the best results. Taking your seedlings outside in a sunny spot during the day and bring them back to your house in the evening if the temperature difference between day and night is large in your area, which will help your seedlings get acclimated to the outdoor weather.
6. Start Collecting Rainwater
Gathering rain is actually important for eco helpful horticulture. Install a water butt in your garden this winter to take full advantage of seasonal rainfall. Most of the year’s rain falls in winter, so go and collect it! Peak demand for water in the hotter months often forces water companies to utilize groundwater reserves and streams excessively, which is detrimental to the environment and costly for consumers.
Rainfall is actually the most ideal kind of water for plants. Ericaceous plants in particular, like blueberries, camellias as well as rhododendrons performing best along with rain, given that faucet water is actually typically a little alkaline. Posture it beneath a downpipe from your residence or even shed after you install your water butt. If you’ve got a closed drainpipe, you’ll need to get a diverter kit to siphon off some of the rainwater.
7. Maintain Fences And Garden Trellis
Winter is the ideal time of year to finish those trivial maintenance jobs. Check your garden trellis, gates and fence panels if any sign of weather damage or decay. Repairing or replacing any broken segments and any broken structures will allow you to spend more time in your garden during the spring and summer. Besides, clean fence panels and gates with a power washer to remove dirt, moss and mildew. Use a stiff brush to help remove stubborn grime. As well, you could collect those fallen tree leaves and rotten wood as your compost during your maintenance.
8. Clean And Sharpen Gardening Tools
Prepping your tools and supplies are a good start for spring. Take time to clean and sharpen your tolls during the winter months. Maintaining your garden tools will help preserve them, saving you money and time in the long run and helping prevent the spread of disease. Dirty secateurs are a breeding bed of bacteria and fungi. Strong detergent, hot water and a scourer to clean your bladed tools are recommended.
Sharpening your tools will also strengthen their performance, easier to work with. Once sharpened, apply some oil or WD40 to blades and hinges. Hand tools, including spades, hoes, trowels and rakes will also benefit from a good clean and oiling. Many of the big box stores will have sales on gardening supplies because they need to get the stuff moving in the winter, so you could go pick one.
Final Words
Are you ready to start new planting plans in spring? I hope these tips give you a starting point. These steps will not only help your spring and summer run more smoothly, they can also improve your yields over the long term.
