Tino's four tips to revive your garden for spring

The chilliness of winter might be lingering in the air, but as we turn a new leaf with the beginning of spring, now is the best time to cultivate your garden.

Gardening Australia host Tino Carnevale lives on Muwinina Country (Hobart, Tasmania) and says, while it might feel chilly in many parts of Australia, "the winter patch is still productive".

"The days are getting longer and the jobs you do now, will pay dividends later on," he says. 

Whether you live in a cool or warm climate, Tino shares his top four tips to get your garden ready for spring.

Start with a general clean up by removing weeds

The first place to start is by tidying up using a rake to remove any dead leaves and branches as well as any build up of dirt and debris, in and around your patch.

"This will help to discourage pest and diseases as well as making a nice tidy space for you to look forward to working in," Tino says.

Many plants are dormant in winter but that isn't the case for weeds.

Surprisingly, they can be helpful during winter, acting as a "crop cover" to protect your soil.

But if you're an avid gardener, you will be familiar with how fast they can grow (and spread).

"It's really important to take care of your weeds, especially for the crops that are dormant in winter, like asparagus [and rhubarb]," Tino says.

"This will help to minimise root competition and disturbance to your crown."

Before you decide to plant any new crops, Tino recommends removing all your weeds first.

Check the pH levels of your soil before planting

Once you've removed old leaves and weeds from your garden, it's time to check the condition of your soil with a test kit (available at most nurseries or gardening stores).

"If you've been using the same bed for a couple of crops, it's a good idea to check the soil pH," Tino says.

Follow these steps to test your soil:

1. 1.Grab a handful of soil making sure it doesn't contain any grass or other organic materials.
2. 2.Place it on a clean surface, and add a couple of drops of dye, along with white barium powder and wait for the colour of the soil to change.
3. 3.The perfect soil pH for veggies is around 7, but if your results are more acidic, Tino recommends adding some lime to your garden, approximately two weeks before planting anything new and making sure it's mixed into the soil well.

Keep your soil healthy by adding in some compost

Loosening up the soil and turning over your mulch helps remove any hidden weeds but is particularly important if you're planning to grow root vegetables like carrots or beetroots.

The other important step to reviving your soil is adding in some compost.

"Compost is an all-round soil conditioner, full of good stuff to keep your [plants] alive," Tino says.

To complement your compost, mixing in aged manure or blood and bone is another great way to restore nutrients in your soil, along with a layer of straw mulch on top to stop your soil from drying out.

If you've used straw mulch before and hate when the wind blows it all over your yard, Tino says by adding some compost or wood chips on top will help keep it in place.

Transitioning from winter to spring also means it's also the perfect time to feed your perennials or veggies like rhubarbs or asparagus too.

A quick and easy way to do this is by putting a heap of powdered blood and bone around your plant, followed by a layer of compost on top.

Veggies to plant in spring

So, now your garden is prepped and ready for some crops — the big question is: what should you plant?

If you're eager to get in the garden and grow something fast, Tino suggests opting for seeds over seedlings.

"Get in a quick maturing crop, like leafy lettuce, radish or even parsley," he says.

"[They're] in and out within six weeks."

Before you pick which crops to plant, it's a good idea to rotate your crops by pulling out any winter veggies and replacing them with spring veggies instead.

"[They] deplete the soil of nutrients and continual planting can create a build up of pathogens that love that particular family of veg," he says.

When it comes to sowing your seeds, the rule of thumb is planting your seeds around every four centimetres — or you can try Tino's approach and sprinkle your seeds in a line instead.

While some crops like lettuce can be quick to grow and harvest, a lot of it comes down to timing.

"Don't plant too much too early," Tino says.

"You don't want your young seedlings to get blasted by early chilly spring weather."

Planning out your patch will leave space to grow next seasons crops like tomatoes and chillies.

Watch this episode and find more helpful tips on the Gardening Australila website.