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If you’re anything like us, during the winter, planning a spring garden is one of your favorite ways to escape the colder months. And, now that spring is here in full force, what better time to talk about some of the best tips for spring gardening?
Read on below and discover 16 of the very best spring gardening hacks to try this year!
Or, if you prefer, check out these winter gardening hacks instead!
Best Spring Gardening Hacks
Let’s get straight to it then… here are our favorite 16 spring garden hacks that practically anyone who wants can try this year:
1. Make use of containers and planters
One of our favorite hacks for spring gardening (especially when dealing with limited gardening space) is making full-use of containers and planters before the real growing season even begins.
Plant seedlings and potting-mix in containers and planters inside the house near windows (or under lamps). Make sure to water and ventilate the plants properly as well as hardening them before transferring them to the garden.
2. Grow as many seedlings as possible
Speaking of growing seedlings in containers and planters, starting as many of those little babies as possible is another great spring gardening hack.
The more seedlings you start ahead of the real growing season, the better. Some plants won’t make it, but the ones that do will have a healthy head-start for the year.
You’ll also have more than you need, so picking baby-greens and leafy veggies early won’t affect your desired harvest.
3. Order your seeds for the entire year
Once you’ve planted seedlings for the spring it only makes sense to order the seeds and bulbs you plan on using for the rest of the year.
Getting this little task out of the way early in the year is a great spring gardening hack to perform on windy or rainy days while stuck inside.
4. Plant hangers with flowers that will bloom all year
Once early spring arrives, and fresh flowers are available, planting hangers around the house is another of our favorite spring gardening hacks. Having a bunch of flowers around the home goes a long way in making it feel like summer is right around the corner.
There are few gardening activities for the spring that are so refreshing after a long and cold winter.
5. Plan and build a greenhouse (or reorganize the greenhouse if you have one)
If you’re dying to get your hands dirty, but the weather isn’t warming up quick enough for you and your garden plans for the year, why not plan and build a greenhouse? Or, if you already have one, why not reorganize and optimize it for the year?
Greenhouses don’t have to be huge, or expensive for that matter. A light frame of PVC tubing, or even wood, and a roll of plastic sheeting are practically all you need. You can also purchase a greenhouse kit that comes with everything you need.
Take advantage of the pre-growing season weather and make the most of this spring gardening hack.
6. Use cinder blocks, stones, or tires to create raised beds
One gardening hack that we’ve been planning on implementing is using cinder blocks to create raised beds. There’s nearly an infinite amount of ways to use the things to create some really fantastic raised beds.
We plan to line the side of our home that faces the morning sun with a couple of rows of cinderblocks, two-deep against the house, and a normal row in front. We’re hoping for a somewhat stepped effect.
Do you have a cinderblock raised bed, or plans to build one? We’d love to see the pictures in the comments section below!
7. Identify garden pests early-on and remove them
A boring but extremely productive spring gardening hack is to spend a bit of time identifying pests in the garden and removing them.
The earlier you start to deal with garden pests, the better your harvests should turn out.
So, keep an eye out for aphids, slugs, weevils, and snails while working around the garden and preparing it for the growing season.
8. Build (or refresh) a rainwater-catching system
A quick and easy spring gardening hack just about anyone can benefit from is setting-up a rainwater-catching system. This can be done by rigging gutters to empty directly into high-capacity barrels or by simply setting a few empty containers outside to catch the rain.
At any rate, making use of rainwater in the garden is both beneficial to plants and gardeners. Rainwater contains trace-elements that are healthy for our garden plants, and of course, the more rainwater we use, the lower our water bills are.
There are also plenty of rainwater-catching systems on the market if you prefer to buy one.
9. Organize and perform maintenance on garden tools
Spring is an excellent time to prepare your garden tools for the rest of the year. We like to make use of this slow part of the year to organize our tools and perform basic maintenance on them as well as replace whichever tools may need replacing.
Sharpening shovels, shears, and spades, checking the handles on rakes and hoes for looseness, and testing garden hoses for leaks are just a few suggestions.
You could also take the time to set aside an area in the garage for all of your garden tools or even to build a small shed for storing them.
10. Create biodegradable or permanent planters
This spring gardening hack is really more of an extension of the first hack on our list, making use of containers and planters.
If your running on a tight budget, no budget, or simply want a cool spring gardening project to undertake, creating containers and planters from recycled materials is always a good choice.
A quick Google search yields an unlimited amount of ideas. We suggest using paper towel and toilet paper rolls for making biodegradable containers as well as using old coffee, soup, and paint cans for permanent planters.
11. Start a compost pile
Another of the less exciting, but handy, spring gardening hacks on our list is to take the time to start a compost pile.
It’s not exactly the funniest job in the word, but, all great things must start somewhere. And, honestly, it only takes a few minutes. After you’ve built it, you’ll be able to start making the most of food scraps, grass cuttings, and waste from your garden.
If you’re not sure how to start a compost pile, a quick Google search will give you enough ideas to make your head spin. Or, you may opt to purchase a compost bin.
12. Use pallets or re-purposed furniture to build grow-boxes
One hack that takes a bit of skill with handtools is creating garden furniture, raised beds, or grow-boxes, out of old furniture or pallets.
This is another of the hacks on our list that we love, but haven’t yet tried. That said, we do plan on implementing this one as soon as possible!
Do you have a garden bed or piece of outdoor furniture that you made from re-purposed materials? We’d love to see the pictures in the comments section!
13. Sow the crops that take the longest first
It may seem like a no-brainer to long-time gardeners, but, here it is anyhow: sow the crops that take the longest first.
This spring gardening hack will save you a lot of time and allow you to grow the largest and healthiest crops possible, to say the very least.
14. Plant trees
Planting trees is one of the best spring garden hacks out there for folks who own their property.
Trees take a lot more time to grow in comparison to garden-variety fruits and vegetables. Most require a minimum of three to five years before they begin putting off fruit regularly.
If you have the space then get outside and plant those trees this spring. The longer you wait to plant, the longer you wait to harvest fruit (years, not months).
15. Install an irrigation system
Early spring is the perfect time to install or repair irrigation systems for gardens. There are fewer weeds (if any), and fewer crops (also, if any) growing at this time of the year and the ground is both more visible as well as more easily accessible.
Regardless of what sort of irrigation you plan on installing, be it driplines, sprinklers, or something else, a sunny spring day is the perfect time to get the job done.
So, why wait? Get out there and get that irrigation system install that you’ve been waiting to do all winter!
16. Sharpen up edges around landscaped areas like flower beds
Last but not least on our list of spring gardening hacks is sharpening up edges around pre-existing landscaping. If you don’t have landscaping to be sharpened, why not take the time to create a few flower beds or manicured areas in your yard or garden?
This hack doesn’t take long and goes a long way in making your yard and garden look great. All this hack takes is raking back mulch and compost, pulling weeds, and possibly using a trimmer as needed.
What’s Your Favorite Spring Garden Hack?
Do you have a favorite spring gardening hack that you’d like to share? Drop us a line in the comments section below!
Thanks for reading and good luck with your spring gardening this year!
Related Video:
Suggest Reading: How to Plan a New Garden
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