Getting Started with Spring Garden Planning
Spring is nearly here *cue the excitement* and if you’re anything like us here at Jolly Lane Greenhouse in Rapid City, SD, you might already be counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until you can plant your 2021 garden! But what’s the point of waiting for warm weather to return if you don’t have the right plan in place for planting and prepping your garden for growing season ahead of time?
No matter your comfort level with gardening, your friendly gardening experts from Jolly Lane Greenhouse are here to offer some helpful hints, tips, and tricks to ensure your future garden is set up for success the moment you plant your first seeds (or seedlings if you did some seed starting ahead of time)!
The easiest place to start prepping for growing season is to identify how much growing space you have! Whether you have 5 square feet of growing space or 1000 square feet, every square foot counts when it comes to planning and planting your dream garden. For those with a limited amount of space, don’t fret – you can do a lot with a limited amount of space (more on that next month). Thanks to technology, there are even some apps out there that can help you visualize your garden based on available space!
Once you’ve got an idea of what kind of space you have to work with, it’s time to physically prep your future garden! The last thing you want is for planting season to spring upon you (pun intended), only for you to not be ready to plant from the jump. Set aside some time a few weeks ahead of your expected planting date to dust off your gardening tools and pull any lingering weeds that made it through the winter. With a clean garden space, you’ll be well on your way to prepping your garden!
After you’ve de-weeded your yard, take a trip to your friendly neighborhood greenhouse to get set up with the right supplies you’ll need to make your garden spectacular. If you choose to come see us at Jolly Lane Greenhouse, our planting experts can offer some great advice on the right planting supplies including compost mixes, seeds, and plants. If it’s your first time planting, you may also want to consider conducting proper soil testing to identify any soil tune-ups needed (we can help you with that too!).
From here, once you have collected all the supplies you’ll need, it’s time to get to work. Before you plant, you’ll want to spend some time tilling or turning up the soil for your future garden. As you’re turning up the soil, it is a best practice to work your soil down 14 inches to ensure it is not compacted. While you’re turning up the soil, work in any necessary compost or mulch mixes to ensure your soil is in tip-top shape. Then, fertilize your garden space!
After your garden is properly turned up and fertilized, you’ll be ready to plant as soon as warm weather returns!
If you have any questions about garden planning or gardening in general, we highly encourage you to stop by Jolly Lane Greenhouse at 2962 Jolly Lane, Rapid City, SD 57703 or give us a call at 605-393-1700! See you next month with more growing tips!