Preparing for the 2022 Landscape Season

Preparing for Alberta’s landscape and gardening season is tough with Mother Nature’s mood swings. Are you leaving for work in your winter jacket and shedding layers by lunchtime? Albertans know they can’t predict their spring wardrobe or the last snowfall, but we’ve perfected preparing for a better 2022 landscape season.

How to Prepare for the 2022 Landscape & Gardening Season

Anticipation is setting in with Alberta homeowners and landscape professionals noticing the first signs of spring.

Last summer, we saw record-breaking heat paired with a significant drought that brought a drier-than-usual winter. Assessing your soil, water needs, and doing the prep work before planting will get you ahead so you can hit the ground running to make the most of our short landscape and gardening season.

Preparing your equipment for the 2022 landscape & gardening season.

Ready to break out the whackers and mowers, pruners and loppers? The sounds of spring that echo through your community can be just as much songbird as heavy-duty equipment. Before you plan a weekend filled with planting, trimming, or prepping, it’s time to pull out all of your equipment.

Most landscape and gardening pros will clean their tools before storing them for winter, but any trace amount of plant sap, dirt, or debris can hold bacteria or fungal spores. You can disinfect your tools by soaking them in a solution of 10% bleach and 90% water for 30 minutes to kill off any soil pathogens that are still hanging around.

You’ll need to eliminate any leftover bleach residue left on the equipment by rinsing them thoroughly with water. It’s also a good idea to oil them up between uses to keep them from rusting.

Don’t forget the often-overlooked mower blades when you’ve carved out some time to sharpen your typical landscape and gardening tools. You may even want to sharpen a shovel’s pointed tip for better digging. As for your mower, be sure to put in some fresh gas. Now is the time if you forgot to empty last season’s oil.

Once all of your equipment has been examined and brought to tip-top shape, you’re ready to take on the 2022 landscape season.

Lush lawn preparation.

The grass always seems to be greener on the other side – or in this case, your neighbour’s lawn. Not this year! You can now have a fresh, lush, and thriving landscape by handling your yard with care.

Apply grass seed and top soil to any areas of your lawn that are dry or sparse in the spring to ensure a healthy lawn by summer. Before you start spreading the seed on the soil, you’ll want to prep the soil by loosening it with a garden rake. After you’ve spread the fresh seed, you’ll want to thoroughly wet it with a garden house to ensure you’ve covered every area. A sprinkler may leave some dry, patchy spots that don’t produce the even-look you’re aiming for.

To really get ahead, you can cover the seed with straw, or mulch to keep pests and birds away while also reducing water runoff. You should opt for grass seed that is particularly developed for both sun and shade. Blue Grass’s custom blend has been grown in Alberta for more than 50 years, equipped to handle the prairie climate. Just remember, you’ll need to wait to rake or aerate it until the ground is dry to reduce damage and protect any pollinators that are still hibernating.

Once the grass has grown, use your freshly serviced and sharpened lawnmower to keep it looking picture-perfect. Use your mower deck’s highest setting from mid to late spring for best results. For the best look and results, grass should be between three and four inches tall. Check your lawn for signs of decay or damage and apply additional fertilizer or seed to those areas that need it.

Get ahead of weeds and pests.

It can be easy to forget the challenges we’ll face in our garden after a long and, what feels like endless, winter. If you take preventative measures now, you’ll be ahead for the rest of the growing season with fewer weeds and pests to take care of.

Take a careful look over the landscape and take note of any weeds that have already sprouted. You’ll want to remove these right away before they begin to grow seeds. Once they do, it can cause a problem that stays with you for years. Your best bet is to pull by the roots to ensure they don’t resprout.

Need help navigating the local landscape to have your best season yet? Beginner gardeners and long-time landscape enthusiasts in Alberta can benefit from the professional advice, premium products, and top-of-the-line equipment offered at your family-owned Blue Grass Nursery. Call us or stop in to get the help you need from the local experts that have been assisting homeowners and contractors for over 50 years.

What’s your spring preparation routine? Do you have any new landscape projects planned for this year? Post your comments below for our readers to help them have a successful 2022 landscape season.