Get a jump on spring gardening

Check your tools. Pay a visit to your shed or garage, and make sure your gardening tools are in good working order. Remove any rust and see if you need to sharpen blades or replace handles. You should have these essentials:

• heavy-duty garden scissors
• hand pruner
• garden fork
• trowel
• hand weeder
• gloves
• rake
• shovel

Clear out garden clutter. Walk around your yard and pull out anything that is dead or dying, like branches or last year's annuals. If you remove a plant and plan to replace it with a new one, mark the area with a stake. Clear leaves from drainage ditches and debris from beds. If you've collected several inches of old mulch, scrape it up and compost it.

Test the soil. If you didn't balance out your soil's pH in the fall, do so now. Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic to neutral (a pH between 6 and 7). If your soil is too acidic, add lime; if it's too alkaline, add sulfur. If you're not sure what the pH is, have your soil tested. Get a DIY test kit, or ask your local nursery about schools or labs that perform soil tests. The test will help you determine which nutrients your soil needs and what types of fertilizer to use.

Deal with weeds. Place landscape fabric and fresh mulch around your shrubs and trees. To prevent weeds from growing before it's time to plant vegetables and annuals, lay moist newspaper a few sheets thick on the soil and then cover it with mulch. When you're ready to start planting, cut small holes in the paper for the plants.

Care for your lawn. Rake dead grass, leaves and debris from the winter. Apply store-bought or homemade compost for nourishment. Stock up on a fertilizer that you can apply later on, if needed.

Learn from other gardeners. Sign up for a regional report from the National Gardening Association. You'll receive biweekly e-mails, targeted to your area, with useful gardening advice, techniques and recommendations.

See how to re-plant a plant the right way.