How to Prepare Your Garden for a Change in Season

After you've worked so hard to get your flowers blooming and plants thriving, it can be nerve wracking when the season starts to shift. The last thing you want is to look at your garden and realise that your carefully chosen plants have wilted away overnight!

Each season brings its own set of unique challenges and opportunities, but there are some general guidelines you should always be following, whether you're moving from spring to summer or autumn to winter. Read on to find out how to prepare your garden for whatever the next season has in store!

1. Tidy Your Garden

Besides being an eyesore, dead leaves, stems, and flowers can cause a lot of trouble for your garden. They can increase the risk of fungal growth and mould, harbour pests like slugs, and even end up smothering the grass below, so it's important to clear them away before next season's growth starts to come through. You should also remember to trim any overgrown branches and shrubs, and be sure to clear out weeds, as they can steal nutrients and space from your plants.

2. Prepare the Soil

Next, you need to get your soil ready for the upcoming crop season. You can start by testing its pH and nutrient levels; most garden centres have affordable testing kits on offer, or you can buy one online. Once you've figured out your soil's status, you can make the necessary adjustments to reach the right pH level.

It's also a good idea to enrich your soil with organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure. This not only improves the soil's structure and fertility, but also helps to keep the soil moist and at a steady temperature.

3. Choose the Right Plants for the Season

Any gardener can tell you what happens if you try to grow the wrong plants – a short period of inactivity, followed by a rapid descent towards complete wilting. This is why it's so important to choose plants that match the upcoming season's weather and temperature, as well as your garden's location.

• If you plan to grow seasonal crops, start seeds or purchase transplants ahead of time and follow the recommended planting dates for your region. Make sure your garden layout accommodates the space needed for seasonal crops.
• You might want to explore the idea of practising crop rotation – a method that involves growing different types of crops in the same area over several growing seasons. This will reduce the crops' reliance on a single set of nutrients and help with pest and weed control.
• If you're transitioning from warm to cool seasons, or the other way around, make sure to remove any remaining plants from the previous season to make way for fresh growth.

4. Protect Against Pests and Disease

Pests and diseases can wreak serious havoc on your garden. In the worst cases, they can end up wiping out an entire season's worth of plants, leaving your garden looking like a derelict wasteland.

To prevent this, regularly check your current plants for any signs of pests or diseases, and treat them as needed. Catching these issues early can go a long way in preventing them from spreading to other or newly planted plants. You can even encourage helpful insects like ground beetles and hoverflies to your garden to help keep pest populations in check.

5. Prepare for Extreme Weather

If you're moving into summer or winter, there's a risk of early frost or excessive heat causing harm to your plants, especially if they're still in the early stages of growing. You can prevent this by covering your plants with row covers or shade cloths, which will shield them from temperature extremes while still allowing air and water to pass through.

Don't forget to make sure your garden is adequately mulched. This will help insulate the soil and protect your plant roots from temperature swings.

6. Practise Maintenance and Ongoing Care

Your gardening duties don't come to an end when the new season is in full swing! Make sure to regularly check in on your garden throughout the season, looking out for any pests, diseases, or nutrient issues, and then taking care of them promptly. Doing this will not only keep your garden thriving, but also make transitioning to the next season much smoother.

By following these steps and staying attentive to the specific needs of your garden, you can prepare it effectively for the changing seasons and enjoy a bountiful and healthy garden year-round.

Talk to Dorset's Leading Specialists in Garden Maintenance

Want to keep your garden looking fantastic, but find yourself short on time for all the upkeep? No need to worry – let the award-winning team at the Real Green Gardener take care of it for you!

For over a decade, we've been helping property owners in Dorset bring out the very best in their gardens. We specialise in a variety of garden maintenance services, including pruning shrubs and small trees, planting, mulching, feeding, edging, mowing, jet washing, leaf blowing, and general tidying up. We pay close attention to even the tiniest details in your garden, so you can have peace of mind that everything is well-prepared to face any weather or seasonal changes to come.

Our maintenance service goes hand in hand with our design and build service. Whatever your gardening needs may be, we're ready to provide you with a complete garden service package of the highest standard.

Ready to get your garden in top shape for the upcoming season? Book a consultation online or give us a call on 01202 722943 today – we're here to help!