The Complete Spring Garden Preparation Guide

Get your garden ready for the growing season with this comprehensive spring preparation checklist and timeline.

Updated: 2026-03-30 15 min readBy Sarah Mitchell

The Complete Spring Garden Preparation Guide

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Quick Summary

Get your garden ready for the growing season with this comprehensive spring preparation checklist and timeline. A week-by-week preparation timeline from late February through April covering soil, seeds, pruning, and planning.

Introduction

Spring is the most exciting time in the gardening calendar. The days lengthen, soil warms up, and everything bursts into growth. But a great growing season starts with thorough preparation. This guide takes you week by week through everything you need to do from late February through April to set your garden up for its best year yet.

Soil Preparation

Clear winter debris and weeds

Remove dead plant material, fallen leaves, and any weeds that have established over winter. A clean start makes everything else easier.

Fork over beds and borders

Lightly fork the top 15cm of soil to break up any winter compaction. Don't dig deeply — you want to preserve the soil structure that frost has created.

Add spring compost mulch

Spread 3–5cm of well-rotted compost or composted bark over all beds and borders. This feeds the soil, suppresses weeds, and retains moisture.

Check soil pH if needed

If you're growing acid-loving plants (blueberries, rhododendrons) or vegetables, test your pH and adjust with lime (to raise) or sulphur (to lower).

What to Sow in Spring

Indoors (Feb–March)

Tomatoes, peppers, chillies, aubergines, sweet peas, and half-hardy annuals. Use a heated propagator or warm windowsill.

Direct Sow (March–April)

Peas, broad beans, radishes, rocket, spinach, carrots, and parsnips once soil reaches 7°C. Cover with fleece for early sowings.

Under Cover

Use cloches, cold frames, or polytunnels to get a 2–3 week head start. Lettuce, spring onions, and herbs do brilliantly under protection.

Spring Pruning Checklist

✓ Prune roses to an outward-facing bud in March
✓ Cut back ornamental grasses to 10cm before new growth appears
✓ Prune late-flowering clematis (Group 3) to 30cm in February
✓ Trim winter-flowering heathers after flowering finishes
✓ Remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches from shrubs and trees
✓ Hold off pruning spring-flowering shrubs until after they bloom

Spring Lawn Care

March is the time to start your lawn back up. Begin with a light rake to remove debris and thatch, then give the first mow on the highest setting. Apply a spring lawn feed (high nitrogen) in April to kickstart growth. If your lawn has bare patches, now is a good time to overseed. Scarify and aerate established lawns to improve root health and drainage.

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"Spring preparation is 80% of the work for 80% of the results. Get your soil right in March and April, and the rest of the growing season takes care of itself."

— Sarah Mitchell, Home Gardening Pedia

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start spring gardening?

Late February for planning and pruning, March for soil preparation and indoor sowing, April for outdoor planting. Adjust based on your region and local weather.

Should I dig my garden in spring?

Light forking is fine, but avoid deep digging which disrupts soil biology. If you need to break up heavy clay, do it in autumn and let frost help.

What if there's a late frost?

Keep fleece or cloches handy to protect tender seedlings. Don't plant out tender crops until after your local last frost date (usually mid-May in most of the UK).

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Gardening Editor

Sarah has been gardening for over 15 years and holds an RHS Level 3 qualification. She specialises in organic growing methods and small-space gardening.