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Preparing the gardenfor the growing season involves several steps.

Stock up on gear and supplies, including tools and seeds.

Many things can be started before the spring equinox, so get a jumpstart.

overhead view of window box planted with seedlings on wooden table with clay pots, red gloves, and potted herbs on wooden deck

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Here’s a step-by-step guide for getting your garden ready for spring.

Warning

Do not prune azaleas.

They should be pruned after flowering in the spring to avoid removing flower buds.

Person pruning dead growth on a shrub

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Also, read up on the pop in of hydrangea you have.

Some hydrangeas bloom on old wood, and pruning too early can mean a summer without flowers.

Tip

Note the date on your seed packets.

dirty gardening tools

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Discard those that are more than a couple of years old.

Germination rates decline as the seeds age.

Plan Your Garden

Armed with your seed inventory and wishlist for your garden.

red box labeled “seed packets herbs vegetables flowers” full of colorful seed packets with bulbs, gardening tools, dirt on wooden surface

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Start designing your garden.

Sourcing seeds locally has an added benefit: Shops typically stock varieties that do well in your growing zone.

Remove fallen sticks, leaves, dead vegetation, and other debris.

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Prepare the Soil

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Prepare garden beds and containers a few weeks before planting time.

The best soil temperature for planting in the spring is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

overhead view of a table full of vegetable plant seedlings in small pots

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A large assortment of colorful tulips over a green background

gardening gloves, trowel, and pruners on winter garden bed with fresh shoots growing

Kristin Mitchell

rake on winter garden bed with dark soil, plant debris and clumps of grass

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wooden table with seedlings, seed packets, onion sets, seed trays, and houseplant cuttings

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