Get ready to embrace the season of growth and rejuvenation with these essential steps:

Clean Up and Soil Preparation:
Clean up your garden beds, remove weeds, dead or diseased plants (keep them out of the compost bin!), and any plants you no longer need. Initial soil preparation is an absolute must! Ideally, your soil should be deep, loose, crumbly, free-draining and nutrient-rich. To achieve this, add a layer of Garden Time Compost over the soil and dig it in deeply 1-1½ spade depth to loosen up and aerate the soil. Compost helps improve soil structure, adds valuable organic matter, and enhances nutrient content, setting the foundation for healthy plant growth.  Organic matter like compost also feeds living organisms (the good guys like microorganisms and worms etc) within the soil which play an important role in a garden's ecosystem. 

Mixing in some Garden Time Chicken and Sheep Pellets for an extra boost is also a good idea. These pellets provide a balanced source of safe, natural, organic nutrients to promote robust growth. For best results, prepare your soil about 4 weeks before planting to allow it to cultivate.

Raised Beds or Planter Boxes:
If you are growing in raised beds or planter boxes and need to top them up, use Daltons Premium Garden Mix - a natural blend of organic ingredients for use as a soil conditioner, garden booster or planter mix, and contains a four-month fertiliser supply. 
Starting from scratch? Garden Time Garden Mix provides a nutrient-rich, well-drained growing medium and gives your plants the best start. 

Adjust Your Soil:

Clay/Heavy Soil: If your soil is compacted or clay-based, adding some Gypsum Clay Breaker is a good idea. It loosens, breaks up clay, and opens up compacted soils, creating a well-aerated environment for your plants to develop strong, healthy root systems. It improves drainage and enhances soil structure to make incorporating essential nutrients like compost easier so your plants can obtain the necessary nourishment they need.

Fine Soil: With very fine free-draining volcanic or coastal soils, water enters and drains away quickly, so it cannot store the nutrients plants need to thrive. Add plenty of compost to bind the soil and improve its water and nutrient-holding ability.

Plan Your Garden Layout:
While planning your garden layout, consider the nutrient needs of different plants and what is their preferred site – sunlight, shade, shelter etc.  In the veggie garden, it's best to rotate the position of various from where you planted them last spring/summer. Read our How to Grow Summer Vegetables guide for more advice. 

Select Plants:
Choose plants that are suitable for your region and time of year. Our summer vegetable planner and flower gardening guide can help you learn more about what to plant and when this season.
Before you plant out, soak your seedlings or plants in Garden Time Seafeed to reduce transplant shock and help roots settle faster.

Start Seeds Indoors:
 Sow seeds indoors on a warm porch or greenhouses (even mini ones work well) using Daltons Premium Seed Mix. This will give your seedlings a nutritious head start before being transplanted into the garden. The mix is a blend of high-quality ingredients and fertilisers designed for germinating and growing from seed with vigorous and healthy root growth. See our Sowing Seeds guide for top tips on successful germination. 

Mulch – Natures Blanket:
After planting, add a layer of mulch, such as Daltons Premium Mulch and Grow or Daltons Bark, over the soil surface. It shields plants' sensitive roots from the elements, especially during drier months, keeping them covered and protected – with the added bonus of suppressing weeds! It further enriches the soil providing valuable nutrients as it breaks down over time, improving soil quality and structure and encouraging microorganisms and worm activity.

Watering:

As you water your garden, any added compost and pellets will gradually release nutrients into the soil, ensuring a steady supply of nourishment for your plants. Add Garden Time Seafeed to help build plant resilience to extreme weather conditions. 

Follow the above steps for a successful Spring growing season. Happy Gardening!