Spring Preparations for Lawn and Garden

Spring is in the air, and the Ohio State University Extension Office in Muskingum County has tips for getting your lawn and garden ready for the season.

Extension Educator, Mark Mechling, said Spring is the time to do preparation work. While people may want to rush into getting plants into the ground, Mechling said you have to make sure the soil is ready for those plants.

“One thing we always recommend is not tilling the soil up when it’s moist,” Mechling explained. “That tends to compact the soil, and later on when the soil dries out, it becomes hard and difficult to work with.”

One way people can get around waiting for the in-ground soil to dry out is to use raised beds in their garden or flower bed.

“Some folks have gone to the practice of having a raised bed where they’ve actually brought in soil and built that soil up out of the ground, and that soil tends to dry out a little bit quicker,” Mechling said. “We can actually sew some seeds right now.”

Mechling said perennial plants, lettuce, and cabbage can be planted now but to make sure they get covered if the temperatures drop. He added it’s still too early to plant your tomatoes, peppers and other annual flowers.