Spring seems like a long way off. But, and just like New Year 2014, it will be here before you know it. Have you thought about what you’ll do to prepare your annual and perennial flowers for the new growing season?
To help make things easier for yourself when spring does arrive, you can start by regularly removing any debris that accumulates in and around flowerbed areas. This includes branches that may have fallen during one of our recent storms or leaves you didn’t manage to clear out at the end of last fall.
Expect to kick your flower-planting project into higher gear around the beginning of March. Following are some of the things you’ll need to do at that time to ensure the best outcome for your spring flowers.
De-mulch and weed
Remove and dispose of any winter mulch you have been using in perennial flowerbeds. Be careful not to disturb any flower shoots you see coming up. Weed annual beds and throw away weeds that have seed heads.
Compost
Place a 2-3 inch layer of fresh compost on all flowerbeds. Till the compost into the soil, taking care not to disturb the roots and bulbs of perennials. Work the soil to an 8-inch depth in annual beds and a 5-inch depth in perennial beds.
Fertilize
Fertilize all flowerbeds, making sure to use a balanced fertilizer on annual and most perennial beds. Use specially formulated bulb fertilizer for bulb beds.
Re-mulch and transplant
Apply a fresh 2-3 inch layer of new mulch to flowerbeds once the soil begins to warm up in mid- to late spring. Be sure to transplant annual flowers outside only after the danger of frost has passed.
Whether you’re a beginning or veteran gardener, South Austin Irrigation is here to help. Our experts can also give you all the information and service you need to ensure your irrigation system is ready for the challenges of the new watering season. Contact us today!
