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It's officially spring! Here's what you can do to get your garden ready for those warmer months

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Posted at 9:29 AM, Mar 20, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-20 17:43:08-04

CLEVELAND — Wednesday marks the first official day of spring and while that may mean spring cleaning for some of you, don’t count out cleaning your lawn, too.

Noelle Akin from Petitti Garden Center says mid-March is a good time to start prepping your lawn to get it ready for planting come those warmer months.

“As soon as you can start walking on the lawn and you’re not squishing around in the mud, that’s a great time to get out there and start to clean the lawn areas,” said Akin.

Pick up the debris, leaves, pine cones and branches that may have fallen throughout winter. Once all of those are cleared, you’ve aerated your lawn.

Now, it’s time to assess where the dry patches are or areas of crab grass. You’ll want to sweeten the soil with Lime or a Four-Step Fertilizer program.

It will alleviate the acidic soil conditions throughout northeast Ohio.

Though, Akin says the key to soil and lawn prep is patience.

“March weather is up and down. A lot of times, one of the worst things you can do is actually go out and start walking on the lawn or also trying to work in the garden when everything is muddy and just really wet,” she said. “When the soil is wet like that, you walking on it or trying to manipulate it with a shovel, or rake, or what have you, you’re just causing more compaction.”

Akin says Petitti Garden Centers has seen a big shift in people wanting to grow their own vegetables and herbs and when it comes to that, you don’t have to wait for the warmer months.

“It’s because you’re able to control your own input, so you can start with your own organic soil inputs if you want to, you can use your own organic fertilizers, you can grow those vegetables or edibles from seeds,” said Akin.

Most vegetables you can start inside in a pot and put them on a windowsill, and eventually transplant them into the ground when it gets warmer out.

Some of the best vegetables and herbs to plant inside are peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. You’ll want to wait with the cucumbers and zucchini.

Akin says the safest time to put vegetables and herbs in the ground is mid-May.