Preparing For Planting Season

Spring is starting soon, which means it’s time to get your plans in order for this year's garden, whether you're dreaming of basketfuls of vegetables, a balcony of colorful flowers, or some other sort of outdoor Eden. To learn more about which landscaping supplies in Arizona you may need for this upcoming season, get in touch with our experts at Pioneer Landscaping Centers.

START SEEDS INDOORS

It’s cheaper than buying starter plants, plus you get the satisfaction of growing the plant entirely yourself. All Things Plants will tell you when to start seeds indoors or plant them in the ground based on your area's last frost date. Some helpful tips for starting plants indoors are to convert coffee grounds into starter pots for planting and be gentle with your seedlings by spritzing rather than watering them.

SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS

As with most other household tools, the sharper the better. Sharpen your pruning shears, shovels and even lawnmower blade before you get into your garden work. You will save time and effort in the long run. Another thing to remember: if you take good care of your garden tools after each use, they’ll stay useful for years.

ENGAGE IN BEGINNER PROJECTS

If you don’t exactly have a green thumb yet, try starting with some easier to accomplish projects. You can grow a container garden, grow indoors on a windowsill, or make a hydroponic farm from a sunny window. If you have kids, bring them in on the fun! It will be educational, enjoyable, and might even encourage healthy eating.

PREPARE YOUR SOIL

This is the big project that most people dread come end of winter. The earth must thaw, and clumps of earth must be broken up. Before planting anything in your yard, you need to dig and loosen the earth, then add organic material. Make sure not to start too early: if the ground is still semi-frozen or soggy, digging in the soil can compact it and harm its structure. The true test is to grab a handful and squeeze – if it falls apart, its ready. If it forms a mudball, not yet.

Follow these steps when preparing your soil:

• Dig deep: most plants need 6-8 in. of ground for their roots to sink into. If you’re growing root vegetables like potatoes or carrots, you’ll need to go deeper.
• Fill up on organic matter: you can use compost, dehydrated cow manure, shredded leaves, well-rotted horse manure from nearby stables, or any mixture of the above. Mix the organic matter with native soil 50:50 or greater.

PRUNING

Prune your trees and shrubs before new growth and warm weather ups the chances of disease. Make sure you know how to do it properly, or else you could do irreparable damage to the plant. Prune fruit trees before buds begin to bloom. Otherwise you could stress the tree, resulting in a smaller crop.

CHOOSE NEW PLANTS CAREFULLY

Every plant needs to be matched to the soil, lighting, and other climate conditions it will be living in. In general, to choose the right plant for the right place, think of the amount of sunlight the location gets, the soil moisture, and your area's hardiness zone. Tech tools like plant sensors can help optimize your garden as well.

YOUR PERSONALIZED GARDEN LAYOUT

Whether you are working with a small space or have acres and acres, know that the best gardens start with a detailed plan. Smart Gardener helps you diagram your garden/landscape, recommends a garden plan based on your plants and location, has a personalized gardening to-do list and other intelligent features.

CALIBRATE AND AUTOMATE YOUR GARDEN

Make your gardening a little easier on yourself with some modern automation. Calibrate your sprinklers to water just the right amount (meaning not too much, conserving water). If you're container gardening, you can make self-watering planters. Or, even better, get your container garden to not only water itself but also tweet you when it needs a water refill! Gardens are so high-tech these days.

LANDSCAPING SUPPLIES IN ARIZONA

Pioneer Landscaping Centers knows that homeowners view their yards as extensions of their homes. As part of a renewed focus on their customers, they can now shop in a 5000 sq. ft. showroom while working with Pioneer experts to turn their vision for their yard into a reality. Visit our website for locations.