Building DIY Gardening

Winter leaves – clear now

Spring has more or less arrived, although still cold on some days. Buds and blooms are out and now is the time to get busy on the garden.

Sills needs repairs or repainting. Outdoor fittings should be checked, cleaned, oiled etc, and any work needed done now, before the start of the proper garden season.

Weed control
Now is the time to get rid of weeds, before they take over. You can remove old twings and wood and crate some new charcoal to use for drawing.

Burn old dry twigs – fertilize and makes charcoal

Charcoal made from burning old twigs, branches etc

Seeds and planting
When the weeding is done, get planting for later in the year.

Fruit
You can add potash (mined and manufactured potassium salts for plant growth), water solubale, just follow the instructions on the packet or box.
This will help plump up your fruit. Use potash in addition to your normal fertilizer.

Since it is still cold, protect smaller fruit trees and bushes with fleece or material.

Vegetables
If the weather is warmer, plant seeds now. Southern England is obvioulsy warmer so just go by the temperature and forecasts.
Peas, carrots, parsnips, beetroots, leeks, for an early crop, protect with fleece is still cold.
Asparagus takes a couple of years to get going, so plant asparagus crowns if you plan for that.

Lawn

Laying a roll of turf against existing lawn and the edging

Time to lay any new grass, or re-seed.
Our lawn is in a mess as we left a table on it too long, so there is a dead area. This can be easily replaced or repaired with a roll of turf.
Don’t forget to water it a lot when first down, as the roots have to bond into the soil.

Greenhouse
Everything starts to grow fast now, so don’t forget to re-pot and tidy up anything that looks ready.
Also water a lot.
Tomatoes, peppers etc can be sown inside and will be ready for transplanting in a few weeks when leaves appear.
Seeds for cucumbers, courgettes and squashes can also be planted in pots.
A busy time. Also warmer than outside!

Trees and Shrubs
This is a good time to move any evergreen trees and shrubs to a new location, as the soil is better. Take as big a root ball as you can (don’t take risks with a small one), to minimise root damage and disturbance. It is easy to kill a shrub or tree this way (I now from experience) so be careful and maximise the root volume you move.

Wildlife
Ponds will be much more active now. Tidy it up, clear any old plants, weeds, rubbish etc.

A pile of logs or twigs make a great habitat for smaller creatures like insects, worms etc, so make sure you have one around the back of you garden. Don’t be too tidy in these areas, and do not disturb them if possible.

Time to get busy 8)