The Best of Salford is back again with more gardening advice, for those of you that want to get your garden ready for spring (that is, if it ever stops snowing!)
The spring season seems to be coming around a bit late this year, but for those of you braving the outdoors to get your garden summer-ready, here are our second lot of tips to see you through.
With all this rain and snow fall lately, why not consider installing a water butt in your garden? If you position one below your downward facing drainpipe you can get the most out of all the showers we’ve had of late. This rain can be better than tap water when it comes to watering plants, as tap water can be slightly alkaline. It’s also great for the environment!
With the presence of winter still around, now is a good time to move any shrubs that are badly positioned in your gardened, while they’re dormant. Try to dig up as much of their roots as possible so that they can settle in easily to their new location, and be sure to water them well once moved. You might also consider starting a small compost heap with any garden waste you clear out from last season. You could use a bin or create one yourself with some scrap wood. If you can, add things like vegetable peelings, grass and wood prunings to create a good compost mixture, and you’ll reap the benefits once it’s all broken down!
If the snow does ever stop in Salford, now is a great time to get all the little maintenance jobs done in the garden. If you have any bits of broken fence, trellis or gates, fix them now so that they’re all ready for your summer plants and flowers. It is also a good idea to clean your garden tools. Any old dirt on gardening utensils can introduce bacteria into your garden, which you certainly don’t want!
