Spring Gardening Checklist: What to Plant and Prepare
Every year, as the last frost melts away and the days grow longer, I feel that familiar excitement, spring is finally here! After months of cold and bare garden beds, it’s time to roll up my sleeves and get back to the soil.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of gardening, it’s that a successful spring garden starts with good preparation.
I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, planting too early and losing tender seedlings to a late frost, forgetting to prep my soil before the growing season, and underestimating just how much needs to be done before summer arrives.
Now, I follow a spring gardening checklist that keeps everything on track.
Preparing the Garden for Spring
Before I plant anything, I take a step back and assess the garden. Winter can be tough on the soil, and things rarely look the same as they did in the fall.
The first thing I do is clean up, removing any dead plant material, cutting back perennials, and clearing away any debris that’s collected over the colder months.
I always remind myself not to be too aggressive, though. Some beneficial insects and pollinators might still be sheltering in old plant material, so I give them time to wake up.
Once everything is cleared, it’s time to focus on the soil. This is one of the most important steps because healthy soil leads to healthy plants.
I start by loosening up compacted soil, adding fresh compost, and, if needed, a balanced organic fertilizer. Sometimes, I do a quick soil test to check the pH and nutrient levels, this helps me decide if I need to amend the soil further.
If my garden beds are dry, I water them lightly to reactivate the beneficial microbes that have been dormant all winter.
Spring is also the perfect time to check irrigation systems. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s better to fix leaks or clogged hoses before I plant rather than waiting until my seedlings start to dry out in the sun.
A quick test run of my drip irrigation and sprinklers saves a lot of headaches later.
What to Plant in Early Spring
As soon as the soil is workable, cold-hardy crops go in first.
Over the years, I’ve found that lettuce, spinach, kale, and radishes do exceptionally well in the cool spring air. These plants actually prefer the chill and grow sweeter and more tender when they get an early start.
Peas are another favorite of mine, I always soak the seeds overnight and plant them directly in the soil by mid-March. They sprout quickly in the cool weather, and by the time summer arrives, they’re already producing pods.
I also get my onions and garlic in early. If I didn’t plant garlic in the fall, I do it now, though I know the bulbs won’t grow as large.
Onion sets go in as soon as the ground is thawed, and I always make sure to plant more than I think I need because I love using fresh onions all summer long.
If I want an early tomato or pepper crop, I start seeds indoors under grow lights. By the time it’s warm enough outside, they’re strong and ready for transplanting.
Some gardeners rush to plant tomatoes outside at the first hint of warmth, but I’ve learned that patience pays off, one late frost can ruin weeks of careful seed-starting.
Mid to Late Spring Planting
Once the soil has truly warmed up, I start planting the main summer crops. This is when I get serious about tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and beans. I wait until all danger of frost has passed, usually checking my local frost dates religiously.
Some years, I gamble a little and plant tomatoes a week early, covering them at night if temperatures drop. Other years, I play it safe and wait, knowing that warm soil helps them grow faster anyway.
Corn is another crop I like to plant just after the last frost, when the soil is warm enough to encourage germination.
I always plant it in blocks rather than rows to help with pollination, and I make sure to give it plenty of space, corn is a heavy feeder and loves rich, well-amended soil.
For flowers, I mix perennials with annuals to create a continuous bloom. Early in the season, I focus on pansies, violas, and snapdragons, which can handle a little cold.
As it warms up, I add zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers to bring in the pollinators.
Pest and Weed Management
Spring is also the time to get ahead of weeds and pests. I used to let weeds take over in early spring, thinking I’d deal with them later, but I quickly learned that a few minutes of early weeding saves hours of frustration later in the season.
A good layer of mulch whether it’s straw, wood chips, or dried leaves goes a long way in keeping weeds down and locking in moisture.
As for pests, I start checking for aphids, slugs, and flea beetles early on. I use natural deterrents like companion planting like marigolds near my tomatoes, basil around peppers, and nasturtiums to distract aphids.
If I see signs of trouble, I tackle it right away rather than letting it become a bigger problem.