How to Prepare Your Garden for Spring in 9 Steps

Apr 21, 2022

Well before spring rolls around, you need to take the time to prepare for the planting season ahead. John Deere has a wide array of lawn and grounds equipment to help you achieve a wide array of tasks, whether you’re focused on flowers, fruits, or vegetables. Using the right tools can help you transform your spring from an average planting season to one that goes above and beyond your gardening dreams.

Why is it Important to Prepare Your Garden Before Planting?

After a long winter, it’s critical to take the time to tend to your grounds before you do any planting. This is especially the case if did little or no maintenance during the winter. While it’s true that many plants will grow in sub-par conditions, it’s best to optimize your soil to give them the best chance to thrive.

To begin, look into the specific soil requirements for the type of plants you are working with this season. While some may do well in sandy soil, others may need an ample amount of water. It’s important to consider this factor before you put anything into the ground.

Next, you may want to utilize organic material and fertilizer to correct nutrient deficiencies in your soil. Plants use many macronutrients found in fertilizer, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Finally, take the time to eliminate nearby weeds in your soil before planting. You may also want to consider using a non-selective herbicide to get rid of any weeds that sprout up during the growing season.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.