Spring is here and it is time to get in some gardening work, yet you haven’t touched your old flower beds in years. A mixture of old bulb flowers and weeds have been allowed to grow any old way they choose. Start with a fresh slate! Here are the best ways to clean out the old flower beds and fertilize your garden to have the prettiest-looking plants in your neighborhood.
Clean out everything. Even take out the old plants as you want to add new nutrients to the old soil. If you have healthy plants, put them in hanging pots and place them in stakes near the old flower garden. If you simply don’t want them, give them as a gift to a friend or relative. Now get rid of all the weeds and debris that has collected in that spot.
Cover up the beds. There still may be old flower seeds and weed seeds lurking that haven’t sprouted yet. You don’t want them sprouting when your young flowers are blooming to crowd your plants. Place weed killer on the flower beds, cover with black plastic, and place compost along the seams. Any plants that aren’t killed off by the weed killer will die due to the lack of sunlight.
Turn the soil over and cultivate deeply. After 30 to 60 days, the old plants will have turned into compost. Now it is time to work the soil. You’ll probably get enough nutrients from the natural compost you made from the old plants. Yet you can add more organic compost based on the types of nutrients your flowers will need. Work the compost deeply into the soil. Then add soil conditioners and start planting.
If you don’t have a green thumb as flowers seem to wither the moment you pass their way, check out the list of landscapers, lawn care pros and sprinkler experts available at Connection Depot. We help people in Central Oregon to help you create a beautiful yard.