Preparing for spring gardening

Gardens go berserk once the warmer weather arrives - make sure you're prepared with these handy spring gardening tips.

Gardeners who are well-prepared for the onset of springtime will be able to boast gardens that are in tip top shape.

Nurture your soil - The most important step you can take to encourage a healthy spring garden is to ensure your soil is in top condition. Dig organic materials like compost and mulch through the soil, and add a high-nitrogen fertiliser like blood and bone, especially if you're hoping to plant exotic plants.

Get the vegie patch going - Spring is a great time to get your first crop of vegies into the garden. If you haven't already got a vegetable patch in place, choose a spot that is sheltered from the wind and receives plenty of light. For a healthy, harvestable spring garden, add some organic material to prepare the soil and then plant vegies like peas, lettuce, carrots, silver beet and beetroot.

Cultivate your lawn - Grass is just like any other plant, and with the extra sunlight and warmer soil it will start thriving again after months of dormancy. As part of your spring garden 'plan of attack', plant a new lawn now, or fertilise established lawns to take advantage of the improved growing conditions. Top up hollows or uneven patches in the lawn with topsoil.

Tame those wild weeds quickly - Weeds go wild in spring, so the sooner you get onto them the less chance they have of taking over your garden. Paved or gravel areas can be sprayed with residual herbicides, and a safer glyphosate-based weed killer is better for spring gardens where you intend to plant. Even better, get on your hands and knees and pull them out by hand, then put down mulch to keep pesky weeds at bay.

Get rid of pests - Bugs like aphids, slugs and snails adore young spring growth to munch on. And they can do serious damage to your precious plants. As part of your spring gardening preparation, put down snail pellets after rain and spray infested plants with pyrethrum-based pesticides.

Get inspired - There's nothing quite like seeing other beautiful spring gardens to inspire great things in your own outdoor spaces. Visit open gardens and wander around your local vicinity to see what other gardeners are doing. What works and what doesn't? Which plants suit local conditions? Then employ the knowledge you've gained in your own garden.

To get advice on getting your garden growing in spring, talk to the experts at your local nursery: