Spring Jobs in Your Garden

Spring is one of the most important times of the year for the gardener, as carrying out a few simple tasks now can not only save you a lot of time later on but also make sure your garden looks good, particularly during the summer months.

 Madingley Mulch, who are based on the outskirts of Cambridge, stock a comprehensive range of outdoor gardening supplies to help keep your plants in pristine condition. Here are our five key spring jobs which you should consider making a priority. 

 Controlling Weeds and Slugs 

Weeds get a head start on other, more desirable plants as they can flourish in lower temperatures. Annual varieties which need to be kept under control in the spring include nettles and thistles. These can be removed by hand or by hoeing. Laying down a soil improver such as an organic bark or wood chip mulch will also help smother the weeds.

 Madingley Mulch supplies a wide range of mulches, composts and soil improvers for gardens in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire so we will be able to find the right one for your garden.

Slugs are another unwanted spring visitor, and they can cause a lot of damage to your plants. Gardeners should encourage toads and frogs, by installing a pond or large water container, as they will eat the pests. You can also position jars of beer or soapy water close to vulnerable plants to trap and drown the slugs.

 A Good Time to Prune

Many shrubs like lavender, buddleias and fuchsias, require pruning at this time of year. Removing any diseased or dying stems will help promote fresh growth later in the summer.

 Rose bushes should also be pruned during spring. Make sure your secateurs are sharp, and make any cuts no more than 5mm above a bud and sloping away from it. This will ensure that any rainwater does not collect on the bud. This applies to all cuts, whether removing dead wood, deadheading or annual pruning

Plant Bulbs for Summer Colour

Tender summer-flowering bulbs should be planted in the spring months. Gladioli, begonias and dahlias are the most reliable varieties and will give you plenty of colour once summer comes. They can initially be planted in pots, and then transferred into beds later once they have become established.

Many summer bulbs, like alliums and agapanthus, prefer a sunny spot with free-draining soil. If the earth is too moist, then the roots can rot. Other varieties, such as lilies and begonias, prefer their soil rich and damp.

 Trees and Shrubs 

Spring is a good time to plant trees and conifers, as, when the soil begins to warm up, the roots will soon start to grow. Deciduous varieties can be planted up until the end of March, while evergreen species can be grown from April onwards. Keep them widely spaced so they do not compete with other plants.

Mulch Beds and Borders

Whether you are planting or weeding, putting down a layer of mulch is a vital component in improving the look of your garden. As well as suppressing weeds and other pests, spreading mulch in borders and beds in early spring will also help retain moisture, which will ensure the plants do not dry out too quickly in the heat of the summer.   

 In East Anglia, mulches are particularly useful as they can help improve the quality of the heavy clay soil which is common throughout the region. At Madingley Mulch we can supply a wide selection of mulches and other soil improvers for gardens across Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

 Denise’s Delight is a product, which is exclusive to Madingley Mulch and contains Black Fen soil, well-rotted horse manure, wood shavings and plant nutrients. It is particularly suitable for raised beds.

We offer a regular weekday delivery service to towns and villages across the region, including St Ives, St Neots and Royston. Orders are delivered free to all addresses under 15 miles of our base on the edge of Cambridge, and a standard £20 charge applies to all deliveries within 24.5 miles. Deliveries to addresses further afield can also be arranged.

 

---

Back to blog