It might still be the winter, but it is the best month to start planting certain seeds and bulbs to make the most of the coming spring. Here is a quick planting garden to inspire your springtime blooms and blossoms.
Soil Preparation
A lot of planting will require some soil preparation first. The winter takes its toll and compacts the soil, so make sure to give it a good tilling and turning before planting anything new. Also take the time to either add a fresh layer of Blended Topsoil or mix in some garden compost to really boost the nutrient content of the soil ahead of the growing season.
Planting Bulbs for Late Spring
Plant your bulbs with Multi Purpose Topsoil for a beautiful latespring bloom. The likes of daffodils are a popular choice for the colour they bring, so plant these and other similar bulbs now to enjoy their early blooms that will herald the coming of the summer itself.
Chitting Potatoes
It is the time to start chitting potatoes by setting them near a window that gets plenty of sunshine. You can use empty egg cartons to place them in neat rows where they receive enough sun, so they begin to sprout. Once the sprouts have grown two to three centimetres or a little over an inch, you can plant them in the prepared tunnel in your growing patch. Doing this now could reward you with some 'earlies' towards the end of April. Also make sure you have given your topsoil a good nutrient boost by adding in some soil improver such as Spent Mushroom Compost before planting.
Chillies and Peppers
These plants like the warmth so it is good to start them inside, but once the sun starts shining more regularly you can move them into the garden. Getting an early start on chillies and peppers, and even related plants like capsicums, will provide you with plenty of flavoursome morsels for the summer.
Celery and Celeriac
Celery and celeriac also like to be sown indoors at first but will thrive once they start growing and are moved into the spring time weather. The seeds of these plants are very light sensitive and thus will need plenty of it to germinate healthily. Also make sure they do not dry out amidst all the light you give them.
Choosing the Right Garden Compost
There are a few varieties of garden compost available. Some varieties are better suited to certain types of plants, so you can maximise your garden growth by using the appropriate compost. To improve your soil for general growing purposes, choose Well Rotted Horse Manure and simply mix it in with your topsoil. For vegetables, there is Spent Mushroom Compost, plus you can get extra special Tree and Shrub Compost which stimulates and feeds young roots.