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Spring Gardening Tips – 5 Ways To Get Your Garden Ready For Spring

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Do you love to garden? Whether you have a big or small garden, whether you’ve been gardening for years, or you are a beginner looking for spring gardening tips, you’ll want to check out these ways to get your garden ready for spring… especially the one gardening product you can’t start this season without! This post is sponsored, so extra thanks for reading and sharing.

Spring Gardening Tips - 5 Ways To Get Your Garden Ready For Spring

Hey, I’m Amy! A work at home mom to two young kids, with a master’s in nutrition, and a self-proclaimed urban homesteader wannabe. I love getting in the garden and growing our own food. Something about it is so refreshing and the hard work is gratifying. Since it is spring time you will find me out in the yard gardening, getting ready my garden ready for spring, preparing the garden to plant veggies, and sprucing up the yard.

You need great gloves for gardening and these gardening gloves from Dig It® couldn’t have come at a better time.

A few weeks back we shared this DIY Mini Garden, because our new home didn’t have a dedicated gardening space yet and we’ve been working hard on creating one. Which is just that, HARD work. We have so many big plans for our yard, and all of them require a lot of work. Hello, chicken coop (and maybe a goat barn, if I could just convince my husband).

Spring Gardening Tips

Since spring is here, it’s time to start thinking about your spring garden! Here are a few spring gardening tips to get your started.

Spring Gardening Tips - Getting Your Garden Ready For Spring

5 Ways To Get Your Garden Ready For Spring:

  1. Prepare your garden tools: It’s important to clean tools with soap and water, oil wooden handles and squeaky trimmers, and fix or replace any broken tools. If metal tools are rusty and/or muddy scrub them with a wire brush. Stubborn rust can usually be removed with steel wool or fine sandpaper. The worst is when you go to use something only to find it not working. Save yourself a headache and get all your tools ready ahead of time.
     
  2. Prepare the ground: Good soil is important for a healthy garden. Healthy soil produces more productive plants. Preparing your soil is one of the most essential spring gardening tips. To get your soil ready for spring clear out weeds, turn over the soil (I like to use a small gardening fork) to loosen it up and add oxygen, and mix in some fresh manure or compost to add nutrients. Your plants will thank you.
     
  3. Create a plan: Figure out what you plan to grow, where each plant will go, and check the farmers’ almanac to see which plants work well together and which ones don’t. Create a layout of your garden and draw in each plant where you want it to go. Check out square foot gardening to see how much space is needed for each plant. You can really fit a lot of plants in a small space.
     
  4. Start planting: Find out what zone you are in and the last frost date to figure out when to start seeds indoors, when you can transfer those plants outdoors, and which plants can be directly sown outside. Start seeds indoors like peppers, tomatoes, melons, etc. You can start some cold tolerant plants straight in the ground like lettuces, peas, broccoli, spinach, and kale in the spring. Spring is also a great time to plant trees and shrubs.
     
  5. Maintain it: I’ve been known to over plant things and then leave them for the birds because I just can’t keep up. This is may be one of the most basic, but important, spring gardening tips… maintain your plants, pick fruits and veggies as they ripen, and weed frequently. If you have kids, get them to help. My two year old loves to help in the garden, especially picking the vegetables, and even picking weeds. Just keep an eye on children or else they may pick plants you want to keep. I couldn’t tell you how many unripe tomatoes my two year old accidentally picked last year.

Gardening Tips

Top Spring Gardening Tip: Get The Best Gloves!

Having the right gardening gloves makes the job so much easier.

Through the years I have tried many, and I mean MANY, gardening gloves. A few years back, my husband bought me these really nice leather gloves hoping they would outlast all the other ones that lasted less than one season before falling apart. But I continued to have the same problem. The tips of the fingers continue to wear out easily and dirt gets into the seam leaving you with dirty, chipped fingernails. Which is no good.

Any gardener will tell you what gardening does to one’s hands and nails. It doesn’t take long for your hands and nails to become dry and cracked. I wore those leather gloves not that long ago and kept getting thorns in my fingers…ugh. Talk about a painful situation.

Spring Gardening Tips - Dig It Gardening Gloves

That’s why I love the Dig It® Handwear utility gloves. They have pillow top padded finger tips saving your fingernails and manicure. They help protect your hands from the dreaded gardener hands. When I first tried them out, I was expecting the same problems as that of all the gloves in the past. However, I was amazed that my fingers and hands were safe from the dirt.

Yes, I think my best gardening tip is to protect your hands with these gloves.

Dig It gloves are really comfy, snug and form fitting (the good kind of tight-fitting, not the I-can’t-button-my-jeans kind of tight), and I love the non-slip silicone texture added to the palms that make working in the yard easier. And with the extended wristband and velcro closure, it helps keep dirt from sliding into the wristband and into the gloves. Which, by the way, is the WORST. Anyone else hate when that happens?

Spring Gardening Tips

I was very pleasantly surprised by how clean my hands were when I took the gloves off. Gardening win! Clean hands and perfect nails!

These Dig It gloves are definitely my new gardening glove of choice and, trust me, I’ve tried every kind of glove. These are the winners. Now, on to building that chicken and goat area…

DEAL ALERT: You can get 10% off your order, when you sign up for the Dig It newsletter.

Giveaway

Would you like to win a Dig It Prize Pack? One lucky winner will receive a prize pack consisting of two pairs of Dig It Handwear Gloves, one pair of Eye Dig It Safety Sunglasses, One Lavender Dig My Lips Lip Balm and one Peppermint Dig My Lips Lip Balm. Approximate retail value is $80.

Dig It Prize Pack

Leave us a comment letting us know if you love gardening, what you most like to plant, and if you have any spring gardening tips to share with us.

Then complete your entry using the entry form below.

This giveaway is open to both Canada and the US.

 
To win more great prizes, check out our other giveaways.

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored and Amy received a sample to review.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor, Amy Knight. Amy blogs about crafts, gardening, all things frugal, real food recipes (usually healthy :), and random things from her crazy life at A Blossoming Life.
Talk with us: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom
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Reader Interactions


90 Comments

  1. i am just getting into gardening but in the past we have always grown tomatoes and strawberries

  2. I love planting vegetables and flowers in the spring. It’s one of my favorite summer hobbies.
    Will have to look for these gloves. Like you, I have gone through many pairs of gardening gloves!

  3. I love to garden and am slowly getting better at but don’t have the green thumb my mom did. Today I am planting my vegetable garden and am looking forward to all the yummy food we will have coming up to enjoy!

  5. I don’t care for gardening- but my husband enjoys growing vegetables.

  9. Love gardening hate the weeding part but it is relaxing. We are planting tomatoes and our blueberries are coming along nicely..

  11. Yes I love gardening a lot and what I like to grow is vegetables the most. But I do like flowers, especially roses. Not really a spring tip but I plant marigolds in the pots that I put my tomatoes in and it seems to keep bugs away from the leaves.

  12. I love gardening, I love planting tomatoes & lettuce.I love fresh tomatoes from my garden.

  13. I have a butterfly garden and plant lots of milkweed for the Monarchs every year . I also grow Cactus and succulents too. We have many plants and enjoy the birds and butterflies who visit them too.

  15. I love planting vegetables in my garden, flowers don’t usually work out for me. I’m getting better each year though.

  16. I mostly try to stick to edible gardens. Those are really my favorite

  17. I love to plant my vegetable garden, and make it grow big! I use compost that I make myself with the coffee grounds and egg shells etc. I usually grow big huge tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, green onions, chives, one cucumber plant, one zucchini plant and one red pepper plant. Not much because it’s only my hubby & me. I don’t grow flowers on our property just green plants (I love hostas.. all kinds ~hehehe~ because my youngest son & i are allergic to bee stinks. So we don’t need to invite the little buggers. Have a great weekedn ladies! hugs

  19. My wife and I love to plant flowers in the spring. We are also hoping to start a small vegetable garden this year!

  21. This is my first year with my own garden! I am planning to plant watermelon, cantalope, some green beans and tomatoes! I’m also thinking I’d love to grow some strawberries and zucchini!

  24. This is my 3rd year starting seeds indoors and I’ve just started planting them outside. My hubby built me 3 raised beds plus i like container gardening too. I also love my flowerbeds too, this year I’m planting lots of wild flowers. I have lots of tomato, cucumber, squash, sugar snap peas, green beans, strawberry, watermelon, cantaloupe and herb seedlings, i like to give my neighbors tomato plants. My tip is invest in a good compost tea and fish emulation, even my houseplants love it!

  25. I’ve never really “gardened” before. I’ve had a couple plants in pots….so, fingers crossed this year goes well. Lol.

  26. We moved into our home three years ago and the previous owner made the backyard look like a jungle. There is just too many plants out there. It has to be thinned out and then maybe I’d enjoy gardening. Right now it seems like a chore.

  27. i love gardening, i give the kids a flower and herb garden to plant and thats our favourite

  28. I enjoy my vegetable garden and my rose bushes. I’m not a great gardener but I try.

  31. I love to garden. I have a veggie garden, flower gardens and an herb garden,

  32. I love gardening and I have a vegetable garden every year. I love that i can feed my family foods that i grew and cultivated.

  33. I do like gardening although I am just a beginner at it. We did have success last year with our cherry tomato plant and will be planting another one or two this year.

  35. I am so eager to plant a garden this year! I am new to gardening and these are great tips!

  37. I do enjoy gardening. I help my roommates take care of the flower beds. We are hoping to put in some more Hostas and a few other perennials. We still have a weed problem but I’m hoping to continue to help my roommates make our garden even more beautiful pulling one weed at a time.

  38. I love gardening, especially flowers! In Canada, my tip is, don’t plant before the May long weekend! The weather may be nice before, but it’s a trap, it might snow yet! LOL 🙂

  40. Yes, I love gardening. I hope to plant tomatoes and zucchini. My tip is to get the kids involved. They love it and can be a great help.

  45. I’m cutting back this year, but I’ll have zucchini, butternut squash, popcorn and potatoes.

  46. I love gardening. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, basil, cilantro, green onions, peas and cucumbers.

  47. I love gardening and my favorite things to plant are vegetables! All of the veggies!! <3

  50. My Mother made me love gardening. I like planting tomatoes and bell peppers. I also like having beds of lettuce, spinach, radishes, and squash.
    Make sure your ground has really lose soil by adding compost.

  51. I’m a beginner, so I’m usually the one getting advice . I like to plant fruits and veggies and pretty flowers for my daughter. Thanks

  52. I love gardening to be able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! I love the bright colors the flowers bring to my yard.

  53. We moved to a new home last year and are really looking forward to working in the yard. It is like a blank slate for landscaping. This year, I hope to get a rock garden made with various flowers and an herb garden planted. Thanks for the super giveaway opportunity.

  54. I love gardening. Right now my mom and I have peas, beans, jalapeno and lots of cherry tomatoes growing. I could live on tomatoes in the summer.

  55. I love fresh organic food, and I love when my children get involved in the garden with me, their eyes big with delight and wonder.

  56. We have several big flower beds and three large vegetable patches in our yard. We have a lot of perennial shrubs, flowers and bushes in the beds. We grow all kinds of veggies that we process and then use fresh or freeze for ourselves as well as for our local shelter.

  57. I love gardening! I’m hoping to plant some hydrangeas this year – I love them but don’t have any.

  58. I love flower and vegetable gardening. I’m trying winter sowing for the first time this year, but am also growing tomatoes under lights in the basement. I would love to try a pair of your gloves as it is so difficult to find ones that work and keep your nails clean.

  59. I’ve never gardened, but I’m looking forward to staring some in boxes on my patio as well as in my flower beds.

  60. We have a garden every year. I don’t seem to have any tips this year as I started a bunch of seedlings and killed them all. I started new ones since we can’t plant outside until June here.

  63. I forgot to add to turn the plants 1/4 turn daily to get the most out of the sunlight. I also fertilize regularly. Use the finger in the soil test and the instructions that come with the plant to know when to water.

  64. Living in an apartment, I’m into container gardening now and grow mainly green plants.

  65. I love to garden. I just planted some Azaleas, hibiscus and a dogwood tree. I enjoy plants that have flowers. I like to make sure my plants have enough water. I also like to fertilize since where I live the dirt is sandy. My planting tip would be to plant the right plant for the region you live in.

  68. I am a Master Gardener in Florida. We have 4 growing seasons here so there is always something to grow.
    Know your zone. Don’t be a Zone challenger. Just as you cannot grow citrus outside in the North, we can’t grow peonies, asparagus or rhubarb in the South.

  70. Great tips! We’re working on putting together a garden this year! We just put up a new fence so that dogs couldn’t get into our garden so it’s getting real! I’ll be sure to use your tips! Thanks!

  72. My youngest son and husband do most of the gardening at our house. We don’t seem to have any luck pretty much every year. Either things don’t really grow at all or they don’t grow well. But we keep trying every spring thinking this might be the year the garden is finally successful. We always include zucchini, green beans and tomatoes while usually adding something new each year. This year we are trying cucumbers.

  73. I like planting basil and other herbs.
    I would study your yard and know where the sun hits your planned garden area to make the most out of it.

  79. I have been mostly a rosarian, but we are preparing a big plot for vegetables, so I’m going to try my hand at tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, and who knows what else! We’ll see how it goes…

  81. Yes yes yes I am a gardener. I can wait to get back out and plant! One of my tips is compost! It’s free, it keeps landfills less full and your garden will love it! I actually love planing tomatoes I really like the heirlooms!

  82. I like gardening we have a really big yard and plant a veggie garden most years, this year I want to concentrate more on herbs and only the veggies we use all the time.

  83. I love planting roses (which I don’t see much success with) and California poppies (which grow plentiful)

  88. Gardening is wonderful. Each Spring I plant veggies. Peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and colorful flowers which brighten my garden and my life. This is soothing and gives me pleasure and hope.

  89. I love gardening and plant blue,purple and red potatoes,the three sisters (corn,beans and squash) as well as broccoli,strawberries and raspberries.

  90. I’ve just recently started dabbling in gardening. We have a huge garden next to our house. But nothing planted as of yet. Hoping to plant a couple things this year to try it out and see how it goes. I have helped a friend grow microgreens at her homestead. My children like to help around too so that is always nice, to make it a family project.