A Complete Garden Maintenance Checklist

Introduction

Want to keep your garden well maintained but have no idea where to start? Or perhaps you’re doing regular maintenance but you’re unsure you’ve covered everything you need to. This checklist outlines all the key things you’ll want to do regularly for a well-tended and beautifully preserved home garden. 

Mow the lawn

Is there anything better than a beautiful green lawn? Your lawn is probably the most visible part of your garden, so you’ll want to keep it well manicured with regular mowing, edge trimming, and fertisiling. Once a month might be enough during cooler weather. On the other hand, in summer you might be mowing every fortnight or more often. Watering is just as important. Depending on the season, you may need to water it as often as twice a week to keep it green and healthy.

Do a plant update

Adding new plants is one of the easiest ways to keep your garden refreshed. As last season’s plantings die off, you’ll need to plant new seedlings to prevent your garden from looking empty. You can plant edible species, decorative flowers, and even money plants that look like coins and are said to bring you good luck and wealth. Make a habit of visiting the nursery and exploring what works for you and your garden each season.

Clean away debris

Cleaning away garden debris is important for keeping your garden looking neat and tidy. However, it also helps protect your garden from wintering diseases. To minimise waste, add fallen leaves and other plant debris to your compost pile. Along with raking dead leaves and fallen branches, you might also need to remove dead foliage by pruning away dying leaves and getting rid of entire plants. 

Composting

Your compost is a free and highly effective source of nutrients for your garden. You might need to turn your compost every three to seven days, whether you have a compost bin, turner, or pile. Don’t forget to keep adding to your compost by using household scraps, garden debris, and other suitable organic matter. 

Weeding

Weeding keeps your garden beds looking tidy. At the same time, it eliminates competition for water, soil, and nutrients from unwanted plants. During warmer months, you might be weeding once a week. The more regularly you weed, the more effortless it becomes because you’ll be getting to the weeds when they’re still young and easier to pull out. Finally, avoid adding weeds that have produced seeds to your compost pile as you could end up spreading the seeds around your garden.

Checks

Regularly check your garden and your plants for pests and diseases. Other checks include soil moisture, the thickness of mulch, and how much sun or shade plants are getting. You can also do soil pH tests with a soil kit. The right soil pH supports growth and yield since pH affects nutrient uptake in your plants. You can also use pH results to decide what you should plant in each part of your garden.

Harvesting

If you have edible plants, harvesting is one of the most satisfying maintenance tasks you’ll be performing for your garden. Whether it’s a head of lettuce, some beautifully ripened tomatoes, or a bunch of herbs, in most cases, harvesting regularly can stimulate growth and relieve pressure on your plants. 

Pruning and trimming

Pruning and trimming are essential, especially where big trees are shading smaller plants. Depending on the time of year and the types of plants you have, you might need to prune several times a month or less frequently. Explore techniques to avoid injuring your trees when pruning. Keep shrubbery and trees pruned back and you’ll have a tidy and healthy garden.

Mulching

Don’t forget to add a layer of mulch on top to help the soil retain moisture and to minimise weeds and erosion. In addition, mulch helps plants stay cool during hot weather. You may need to refresh your mulch every six months to a year. When updating your mulch, mix the old layer into your soil so it can completely decompose. Then apply your new layer of mulch. 

Treat soil

Healthy soil means beautiful, vibrant plants and plentiful harvests. Add compost and fertiliser to your soil, ideally around once a month, to keep your plants well fed. Keep track of which plants require less frequent or more frequent feeding. Chemicals can interfere with the microbiome of your soil and kill off good bacteria, so it’s a good idea to be moderate in using chemicals or to use organic chemical-free fertilisers only. 

Clean garden tools and equipment

Gardening tools can transmit disease and bacteria between plants. For this reason, you should clean your garden tools regularly. Rub with alcohol after using before you apply a bit of lubricant grease to prevent rusting. Otherwise, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on tool cleaning. It’s also advisable to give your tools a good clean when you’re putting them away for a while, such as during the winter months. 

Pest treatments

Ongoing pest treatments are vital for keeping your plants healthy and free of disease. Explore organic and non-chemical pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. Use organic slug and snail bait. Install bird boxes and keep your bird baths filled and your bird feeders full; the birds will dine on snails, slugs, and other pests.

Frost protection

If you live in an area prone to frost, pay attention to frost warnings if you have vulnerable plants. Apply frost blankets when there’s a warning and keep plants hydrated. 

Conclusion

A well-kept garden makes a wonderful place to relax and unwind. Taking care of your lawn, plants, and seedlings are essential starting points. You’ll also need to take preventative measures like mulching, cleaning your tools, and treating soil to keep your garden free of weeds and your plants healthy and thriving. With a little regular work, you’ll have healthy plants and a garden that produces abundant harvests and makes a wonderful, pleasing place in which to relax.