Essential Gardening Jobs to Get Ready for Spring

I love the buzz that comes from seeing those first mild days creep into the weather forecast (my dopamine surge is off the charts when the temps break 60 degrees for the first time), but the delight can quickly shift to overwhelm as it to-do list for getting the garden and patios ready for spring sets in. With time, I've learned that there are actually only a handful of truly essential gardening jobs that make all the difference in getting the garden ready for spring. To cut through the noise, here's my March gardening to-do list:

A fresh layer of mulch does wonders for promoting soil health, regulating temperature and moisture, suppressing weeds and increasing overall tidiness in the garden.

Refresh Mulch

Take a look at planting beds and top up mulch where it has thinned over winter. A fresh 2–3 inch layer helps regulate soil temperature, retain moisture, and suppress the first wave of spring weeds (and brings a tidiness to the garden too).

If the worst of your cold snaps have passed, go ahead and cutoff dead, broken or wayward growth from trees and shrubs. Be sure to use very sharp pruners!

Prune Dead, Wayward, or Broken Branches from Trees and Shrubs

Late winter is an ideal time to remove damaged, crossing, or poorly positioned branches before new growth begins. This does wonders for improving plant structure, encourages healthy growth, and keeps shrubs and trees looking tidy.

Clear Out the Winter Weeds

Even after the coldest of winters, there are many weeds that still quietly establish themselves during the colder months, so pulling them now is far easier than waiting until they spread. A quick early cleanup prevents them from competing with emerging perennials and spring bulbs (and completely overwhelming you).

Clear out weeds as soon as possible to prevent overwhelm. Image courtesy iStock.

When to Cut Back Last Years Growth

Cutting back last years growth on perennials and ornamental grasses should wait until daytime temps are consistently in the 50's. This ensures that plant roots and basal growth stays insulated and also protects important over-wintering insects and pollinators.