Spring has sprung, and it’s time to start preparing your garden for spring planting. This task is key no matter where you live, but it can be particularly important in the unique climate that we enjoy here in Texas. Fortunately, we’ve assembled some essential tips for gardening in Texas for beginners (and a few that even experienced gardeners will find handy) covering everything you’ll need to help ensure that your garden thrives this season.
Evaluating the current state of your garden. Sure, your garden has probably been dormant over the winter, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still things to address before you get started. Inspect the area where you’ll be gardening, and keep an eye out for signs of weeds, pests, or anything else that might affect your new plants.
Cleaning up leaves and weeds. Once you’ve assessed the current state of your garden area, it’s time to get the space ready for new planting. The first step in this process is to remove any dead leaves or weeds from your garden. There are many reasons for this, from the prevention of disease to simply clearing space and freeing up nutrients for new growth to flourish. Old leaves and leftover debris from previous seasons can harbor diseases that may affect your new plants, while many pests may overwinter in plant debris.
Making sure your soil is ready for planting. Not all soil is created equal, and before you put your plants in the ground, you’ll want to be sure that your soil is ready. How do you do that? You’ll want to collect soil samples and check their pH, nutrient levels, and more. You can do this with a home testing kit or by sending the samples to your local extension office. This link will help you through the process, and it’s a perfect early step toward gardening in Texas for beginners, since it’s geared to our own local soil.
Taking stock of your gardening tools. Do you have everything you need? Pruning shears, gardening gloves, rake, garden fork, hand trowel, etc.? More importantly, do you know where they all are? Your gardening tools don’t do you any good if they’re buried in the garage or lost in a shed. Once you’ve found everything, you’ll also want to be sure that they’re clean, sharp, and in good repair before you begin. What tools you’ll need also depends on what you’ll be planting and how ambitious your plans are for your garden, so the next step is…
Making a plan for what you want to grow this year. When setting out on any endeavor, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is what it’s going to entail. In the case of your garden, that means the scope of your plan, but it also means exactly what you’ll be growing. All plants have some requirements in common, but they also have needs that vary, and knowing what you’ll be planting before you begin is a great way to set yourself up for success. Not sure what to plant? Not to worry! Texas A&M has provided a handy home vegetable gardening guide that will help set you up to grow the vegetables that are best for your garden!
Whatever you’re planning on growing as you’re preparing your garden for spring planting this year, the best place to grow it is in our 578-acre master-planned community in Richmond, Texas. From gardening tips to the latest news about everything that’s happening in our amazing community, connect with Candela today by filling out the contact form below!
