Leigh

If you are a gardener, you are chomping at the bit for spring. Trust me, you are absolutely not alone. I am impatiently waiting for the day that I can put my seeds in the ground…. plus I am taking off a whole month between mid April to mid May from my “real” job. But until then I’ve got my pre-planting checklist for the garden ready to go. And I’m going to share it with you.

Pre-Planting Checklist For The Garden

For every gardener, the finer details of this list is could look different. But I feel like despite your growing zone, frost dates, etc. The list is still the same. I’m going to go more in depth below, but to get the check list out of the way now. You’ll need amendments, soil tester, irrigation, quality soil or compost, tools, journal, plants/ seeds and their needs, and chairs.

Checklist For Amendments

Now, every gardener has a different philosophy and definition when it comes to amendments. To me, an amendment is something that added to the soil or seedling to encourage growth, improve soil structure, and water holding capacity. That being said, once my plants are in the ground, the only amendments I add to the soil is animal bedding and mulch. Because of that, I make sure that my soil is as top notch.

Some amendments I like to have on hand are:

Pine shavings or perlite: I personally prefer pine shavings as it will break down over time and feed the soil and soil biome as it does. Perlite doesn’t break down at all. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s not what I’m looking for in my soil.

Peat Moss: I love peat moss! When I can get my hands on good quality, organic peat moss, I have noticed a HUGE improvement in water retention.

Worms: When I am building a raised bed, I will add worms to to the bed. It seems odd, but I don’t want to wait for them to come on their own. I will usually add one bait cup to each bed to encourage them to start working.

Fertilizers: Now, I’m not big on adding fertilizer to my plants after they are in the ground. BUT sometimes it’s necessary. Usually, I will use fertilizers on seedlings and then once or twice after transplanting. I only use OMRI grade, natural fertilizers like Fox Farm Big Bloom, Grow Big and Tiger Bloom. The goal is for my soil to be so great that I don’t need any fertilizers.

Checklist For Soil Tests

If you already have beds or rows done, getting a soil test will help you figure out exactly what kind of amendments you need. I would not go adding a ton of amendments to your soil without a test. You don’t want to end up adding a bunch of nitrogen and end up with a huge plant that isn’t producing fruits. This is the testing kit we use.

That being said, I don’t do soil tests every year. And I don’t do tests on brand new beds. Usually, because we are pushing right into planting time and I just don’t have the time to send off and wait for results. But on my established beds, I will do a soil test every other year or so. Unless my harvest for the year was terrible.

Another soil tester that I like to have on hand is this guy. This soil tester is amazing because I can test pH and moisture easily. I can then make minute adjustments based on what I’m seeing right then. But again, this isn’t something I use regularly because I can see my plants and soil to make a lot of those decisions.

Irrigation Checklist

Making sure that you have water to your garden may sound like a “Duh”. But you would be surprised how many people, myself included, forget about how we are going to water our gardens! Or wait until plants are in the ground before we remember we don’t have enough drip tape, sprinklers, or hose to reach those beds….

So make sure that you have your irrigation figured out. That may look like planning out your drip irrigation or making sure that you have enough connectors. In our case, we have to make sure we have enough hose to reach the big garden, then make sure we have enough pressure and sprinklers to reach the far back of the garden. There are plans to get a yard hydrant out to the garden but until that happens, I’m stuck hauling hoses.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend having your irrigation on a timer. I am notorious for forgetting to water the garden…. or starting to water and then forgetting to turn it off. Having a timer really helps to make sure that even if I forget, it still gets done.

Checklist For Soil And Compost

I use Fox Farm Potting Soil for seed starts. This stuff is amazing! There is a ton of nutrients to help those seeds grow big and strong. I would highly recommend using caution when using a seed starting mix like this. The main reason is because it’s sterile. That means it has no nutrients in it. You will have to add SOMETHING to it to make sure your plants can grow.

Sourcing compost is going to be the next part of your checklist. Now, you HAVE to be careful when sourcing animal manure compost. A lot of the times, animals are eating hay that has been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides. The animals that eat that hay are not going to be able to absorb those chemicals so it will be pushed out in their feces. That means that you will end up with those herbicides and pesticides in your garden. So source your compost carefully.

The other way around that is to make your own. I use my kitchen scraps, animal bedding, leaf litter and sticks to start making compost. This isn’t ideal if you are starting a garden from scratch because you could need a TON of compost and soil. But starting your own compost area isn’t that hard.

Great Tools For The Garden

Shears/ Pruners: I recommend a couple sets of really good pruners. I say a couple because you will lose them and then find them, only to lose them again. I really like the Fiskars brand.

Hand Tools: I love having hand tools in the garden. I normally grab tools form my local Habitat For Humanity or thrift store because I know I am going to lose these tools. But I recommend getting something similar to these.

Bigger Tools: These are your typical tools like shovels, hoes, rakes, etc. I don’t use these much in the garden after planting. Well, I spread mulch with a shovel and by hand but for the most part, once my plants are in the ground, I’m on to hand tools.

Make Sure To Grab A Journal

I’ve talked repeatedly about the need for a garden journal. It’s not just for mental health and, in this case, hugely important for tracking your gardens progress throughout the year. This is my favorite journal but really anything that will get you writing your garden’s progress is key. I also have a digital garden journal that I update a couple times a year. The digital journal is more utilitarian and not for the beauty of the garden.

I also recommend a check registry… I know it’s weird but hear me out. Using a registry is a great way to list out what seeds you have on hand before ordering new ones! I’ve got a digital inventory that I also use, but I have found that using the registry helps me keep track better.

Seeds Or Plants Checklist

What is a garden without plants to go in it! This is going to be completely dependent on you, your growing season and your garden size. But, again, you can’t have a garden without plants. I talked here about the benefits of seed starting but if the only thing you have access to is a nursery or big box store, do you what you’ve got to do.

If you are looking to start your own seeds I recommend buying your seeds from True Leaf Market, Eden Brothers, and Territorial Seed Company. That doesn’t mean that you can’t purchase seeds elsewhere, I just really like their seeds. I’ve had really good luck with them and the price is great.

Another thing to consider when you are starting your own seeds is what pots to use. I love Bootstrap Farmer! I use these pots and these trays. They have really held up over time and I am not gentle on them. The trays are stout and can be carried, fully loaded, with one hand and not break.

A Place To Sit

One of my favorite YouTuber’s, Jessica Sowards, says it the best, “The best medicine for the garden, is the gardener.” That means having a place to sit when you’re tired, either from the garden or life. It’s pretty amazing to be able to just sit and relax in the garden.

Each of my gardens, the kitchen and big gardens, have a ton of chairs. We move them around so we can sit in the shade or in the sun. I’ve picked them up from thrift stores, Habitat For Humanity and various yard sales. I paint them, replace cushions and put them outside. It’s been the best medicine for this gardener.

Other Possible Needs

Shade cloth: You may or may not need shade cloth. But if you live where it is incredibly hot, giving your plants some shade from the sun is a must. We have lost more than our far share of plants that require full sun….to the sun.

Plant Tape: I have used various ways to secure plants to trellis, fencing, etc and sometimes it works great, others not so much. I recently found this plant tape and I really like it. It doesn’t hurt the plants and is completely reusable.

Sprayer: I only use these sprayers when the seeds are watering or fertilizer. If I need to spray fertilizer on the garden, I use one like this that attaches to the hose.

What other items are on your checkist?

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