Getting your lawn and garden spring-ready isn’t exactly a one-afternoon project—in fact, the best results are achieved before spring begins. In this Backyard Life video from ambassador Brian Latimer, the MLF bass pro walks viewers through his four, go-to tips on garden prep for spring. These are the kinds of tasks that are easy to put off, but they make a major difference once your yard starts waking up.
4 Simple Steps
- Pull Those Weeds: BLat tells viewers that the most important step in prepping your lawn and garden for spring is weeding. Sure, weeding isn’t the most fun you can have in your yard, but it’s worth it. He recommends you watch the weeds that crop up in your shrubs and ground cover as they’ll be the first to show.
Latimer also recommends putting down a pre-emergent herbicide now, since this is when cool-season weeds start germinating. That step is especially important if you have warm-season grass.
BLat says you can use pre-emergent on your planting beds as well, but he recommends hand-pulling them if you can. - Tidy up with Selective Pruning: Latimer recommends pruning everything that’s not budding out. Pruning buds will keep your flowers from being as prolific in the springtime. In other words, prune smart now so you’re not accidentally cutting off spring color before it even shows up.
His tip: run your hands through the foliage to check for buds before you start snipping. - Get Rid of Pests: Some of the most annoying spring pests can actually be managed before the weather warms up, and BLat says it’s smart to take advantage of that. He’s especially wary of fire ants as they’re one of the most active lawn pests once spring arrives. So, treating them now can help reduce their activity (and the problems they bring) later.
If fighting pests is part of your annual routine, this is a key step in garden prep for spring that can save you a lot of frustration once things start to warm up. - Get Those Leaves Up: Nobody loves raking and leaf blowing, but BLat reminds viewers it’s a must if you want a healthier lawn and garden.
He reminds viewers that it’s essential to get fallen leaves off the ground. If not, the leaves can keep a lot of excess moisture stuck in your soil. That’s all made worse by the fact that winter is an especially damp time, creating a recipe for problems like root rot, active pests, and even weed growth.
With these four tips in mind, you’re already ahead of the game. A little effort now goes a long way once growing season kicks in—and your lawn and garden will be in much better shape because of it. There’s no time like the present!
