Do these 5 early-spring garden tasks right now, experts say, for an abundant growing season ahead

March 20th marks the Spring Equinox, the first day of spring. As sunnier days arrive, our backyards begin to wake up and thaw out. It marks the beginning of long days spent in outdoors, and a reminder there is much to do for us gardeners.

Whether you have already put together a spring gardening checklist or you feel lost with where to get started, there are a few tasks to prioritize for early-spring. Getting your outdoor space prepared for the growing season is key to creating the thriving garden, and there is limited time to get this preparation done.

No matter the spring garden you envisage, horticultural experts say to start by getting these early-spring gardening tasks ticked off. We promise they're all easy to do and will leave you with an immaculate space ready for spring and summer gardening.

5 early-spring garden tasks to get done now

It's likely you would have already started preparing for the growing season by planting the best spring bulbs in fall. Now that frostier days are disappearing, you can turn your attention to tidying up your outdoor space and doing some essential garden maintenance ready for the spring season. Garden experts say to start with these five tasks:

1. Replenish your soil with fresh compost

Soil health is fundamental to a thriving garden and during the harsher conditions of fall and winter, our soil goes through a lot. That's why it's key to nurture your soil as part of your early-spring gardening tasks, to ensure it's in a good state for growing, no matter the soil type you have.

'One of the most important early-spring gardening tasks is to make sure the top six-to-eight inches of your soil is amended with fresh nutrient-dense compost,' says gardening expert Sara Rubens. 'You do not need to mix it in with the existing soil, I recommend top-dressing all of your garden beds with this 'black gold' and your new season of plants will reward you with abundant growth,' she explains.

Whether you make your own compost or use store-bought compost (from Walmart), refreshing your garden beds will replenish them with essential plant nutrients needed for growth.

You might also want to try adding coffee grounds, which are good for plants, into the mix because they are nitrogen-rich and therefore support vegetative plant growth.

Sara Rubens

Sara Rubens is the founder of Seed to Sanctuary, a garden design company based in North Carolina that specializes in creating year-round food sanctuaries. After transitioning from a corporate career, Sara developed a passion for gardening during the pandemic and saw the need for personalized, hands-on coaching.

2. Clean your gardening tools

Even though fall and winter tend to be quieter in the yard, there is still plenty to get done on a fall gardening checklist and a winter gardening checklist. This means you likely would have used essential gardening tools at some point and may not yet made time to clean them properly. Or, maybe you haven't touched your tools since summer and they have been sitting in a shed dirty.

Well, it's an easy early-spring gardening task to clean your garden tools and get them looking shiny for another busy season ahead. Not only will it improve their appearance, but preparing garden tools for spring can also help prevent the potential spread of pests and diseases.

'Before you get really busy, take the opportunity to sharpen your pruning shears and get them oiled,' advises Sara. 'It will make getting your garden pruned and trimmed up much easier and make your tools last longer, too,' she says.

You can sharpen pruning shears with this sharpening stone from Amazon and clean gardening tools with this garden tool brush from Amazon. Depending on the condition of your gardening tools, you may also want to adopt methods to clean rusty tools.

3. Give your garden edging some TLC

You may not realize, but your garden edging needs maintenance too. Whether you have metal garden edging or have opted for natural materials, the weather, footfall, and more can dislodge it and hinder its ability to keep your garden beds looking neat.

'Garden edging is an essential element in garden design, and in gardening in general. It helps define and organize outdoor spaces while keeping soil and mulch neatly contained,' explains gardening expert from 2xEDGE, Lisa Brooks.

'Early spring is an ideal time to install or repair garden edging before perennials emerge and new plantings take root because it reduces the risk of disturbing new, delicate growth,' she adds.

Luckily, there are endless ways to edge a flower bed and edge a lawn, so you can choose an option that suits your outdoor aesthetic. Use this rusted garden edging from Amazon to get the look pictured above.

Lisa Brooks

Lisa is an avid gardener and DIYer. She founded 2xEDGE to help gardeners, landscapers, and DIYers accomplish garden edging installations and learn about gardening and garden design.

4. Repair bare patches in your lawn

Your lawn is exposed to all sorts of challenges during the colder months, which is why it's essential to get on top of spring lawn care. For those early-spring months, this means repairing bare patches in grass to get your lawn looking green and thick ahead of the warmest time of year.

You'll need to wait until the risk of late frost has passed to repair bare patches, so the ground is warm enough for lawn seed (from Amazon) to germinate.

You should first remove debris from your lawn - aided by the use of a garden rake (from Amazon) - and aerate your lawn (with this aerator tool from Amazon) to loosen any compacted soil. You can also add a layer of compost before sowing your grass seed and watering well.

Watch out for lawn care mistakes, like applying too much fertilizer in spring. This can burn roots and cause more bare patches in your grass.

5. Remove weeds from garden beds

Ahead of planting into garden beds, you'll want to ensure you get rid of weeds to stop them taking over when your perennials and annuals start to emerge. Luckily, if you do have perennials and bulbs planted in your beds, there are plenty of methods to kill weeds not plants.

You may need a range of tools for this - such as this weeder from Amazon - or you can use your hands to pull weeds out. You might also want to try this Spruce weed and grass killer to clear your garden beds.

Don't forget to likewise inspect your lawn for weeds and use methods to kill weeds but not grass.

'Adding mulch early in spring will also reduce weeds and retain moisture,' advises Lowe's garden expert Gary McCoy. Mulching smothers weeds and, as Gary notes, will keep weeds out of flower beds and other planting areas.

Gary McCoy

Gary is a garden expert at Lowe's. His knowledgeable about garden and home design, advising on both.

FAQs

Can you plant in the ground in early spring?

Yes, you can start planting directly in the ground in early spring, so long as the risk of late frost has passed. You need the ground to thaw out and be warm enough to work with. There are many ornamental and edible seeds you can plant in the ground in spring, and you can also start transplanting seedlings you may have started indoors. However, you should always research advice around the specific plants you want to grow in your yard to ascertain the best time to plant them.

If you haven't already, you should also use this time to get your spring planters ready to bloom later in the season. There are plenty of spring-flowering plants you can still plant now to bloom through spring, including daffodils, sweet peas, and calendulas.