Springtime Garden Cleanup In Nanaimo

Springtime Garden Cleanup In Nanaimo

Spring in Nanaimo can be a little unpredictable but that doesn't mean it's too early to get started on some garden cleanup.

Here are a few thing you can do now to get this year's garden off to a blooming start so that when the weather warms up you'll be in better shape for seeding and planting:

Prune: Now is the perfect time to prune branches damaged from winter and shape hedges and flowering shrubs.  It's a good idea to use hand pruners instead of electric trimmers to avoid forming a thick out layer of growth that can block the sunlight from reaching the entire plant.

Perennials: While you're trimming and pruning your shrubs, be sure to take care of the plants that come back each spring.  Cutting back perennials to a height of six inches or less will allow their new growth to sprout up.

Compost: Make a compost pile or construct a simple enclosure using short sections of wire fencing to add your collected leaves, trimmings and last year's compost to.  You can shred the leaves and cut up the branches to speed up their decomposition, being sure to keep your compost pile moist and to turn it over with a rake or pitch fork every couple of weeks.

Stone Paths & Patios: Rake up any loosened gravel and refill joints in the flagstone as needed.  This is also a good time to spray wash any algae or leaf stains left over from winter.

Paint & Patch: Replace any badly damaged or rotted wood from gates and fences.  It's easy to repair any smaller damaged areas with a wooden-epoxy or replace any larger pieces.  You can do clean up as needed with a mixture of 2 gallons of water, 2 quarts of bleach and 1 cup of liquid soap.