Seasonal Garden Prep
Set your garden up for success with our expert seasonal checklists. From soil revival to seed starting, we’ve mapped out every step you need for a thriving, beautiful harvest all year long.
Garden Planning 101
A complete look at how to prep your garden for growing season.
Make your own fertilizer with banana peels and water! Perfect for orchids, roses, tomatoes, peppers, and more!
Prepare your soil the right way before you plant blueberries! This will ensure a fruitful harvest.
If you decide raised garden beds are what you want, it’s important to prep them each year before planting/growing season.
The Seasonal Calendar
Your year-round maintenance roadmap
January
- Start your seeds inside.
- Prune any deciduous trees and shrubs.
- Add fertilizer or compost to raised beds.
Beginning of Spring after last frost (months vary depending on location)
- Remove any excess weeds from raised beds.
- Begin watering regularly the plants that have been dormant.
- Add fertilizer to roses.
- Prune grapevines and rosebushes.
- Plant new trees.
Heading into Summer
- Watering regularly
- Deadheading any rose blooms starting to wilt.
- Keep an eye out for any pests.
Fall
- Planting and dividing tulip, lily, and iris bulbs.
- One final prune before the roses go dormant.
- Raking leaves and adding them to compost bin.
- Cut back raspberry bushes.
- Add straw mulch to strawberry patch in late fall to protect during harsh winters.
Winter
- Watering regularly
- Deadheading any rose blooms starting to wilt.
- Keep an eye out for any pests.
Prep Essentials
Don’t start the season without these must-have tools and supplies.
Before you plant blueberries it’s important to add a blueberry fertilizer to make the soil more acidic which is what blueberry plants love!
Starting seeds indoors is a great way to prepare for the new garden season.
Adding some fresh organic potting soil to your raised beds at the beginning of planting season is a great way to prep for better growth.
These biodegradable pots you can plant directly in the ground when your seedling gets bigger.
Feeding your roses is an important step to ensuring your roses have big, beautiful blooms every year! This specific rose food is unavailable but we have linked our next favorite.
One way to save you time during your gardening is with a smart irrigation controller that allows you to control when your plants get watered via your phone. This model isn’t available anymore but there’s another great one by Rainpoint linked.
Soil Testing & Amendments
Collect Samples
Take 5-10 small samples from different areas of your bed at a 6-inch depth.
Mix & Dry
Mix samples in a clean bucket, remove stones/roots, and let the soil air dry completely.
Read Results
Use a home kit or lab report to check pH, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
Amend Soil
Add lime for acidity, sulfur for alkalinity, or organic matter to boost nutrient levels.