With spring season underway, it’s a great time to think forward about the summer gardening months. Depending on where you live, starting to plan ahead for garden season is essential for a successful garden. Whether you’re growing on your porch out of containers, cedar beds in the backyard, or a large plot of land, taking these tips and applying them can ensure success.
If being sustainable is an important part of your life, growing your own food can contribute to a positive environment. If you’re not wanting to grow your own food, supporting a local community garden is a great way to lessen the impact it takes for food to get to your front doorstep. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), is a monthly subscription that provides you with foods grown locally, and seasonally. It’s a fun way to try new food items and get creative with your cooking, and try new vegetables you normally may not buy!
When I’m gardening the Gregory Packs Nano Waistpack is on my hip full of garden tools such as scissors, twist ties, my cell phone, and chapstick. It’s essential to stay hydrated in the garden so be sure to have a water bottle nearby as well.
First Step: Create a Healthy Living Soil Bed
Having healthy soil to grow food is a vital piece of organic gardening. If you’re wanting to create soil from scratch or have a large area to cover, ordering soil and having it delivered is a great way to save money and get the most amount of product that you need. Typically ¼ compost ½ garden soil ¼ manure such as chicken or alpaca poop, and ¼ additional amendments are going to create a healthy ecosystem for growing. Earthworms and other organic additions to the soil will only add value but the cost will go up as well. If you’re growing in a container buying a premade bagged mix will do the job just fine! It is essential that this soil gets used to itself and is well mixed at least 2 months before planting, so it doesn’t shock the plants.
Step Two: Create Your Garden Layout
Designing a garden in advance will help provide guidance on what seeds to buy. Especially if you’re growing by seed, that takes a little extra time and planning. If your buying starts it is still great to draw out a map of what you’re planting and where.
Companion planting is when you plant two plants next to one another that will be mutually beneficial for one another. This can protect your plants from harmful insects and pests as well! Read more on the Farmers Almanac to see what plants grow well together!
Creating a garden layout is fun and a little like creating a blueprint for your backyard! This ensures there is no waste when buying seeds and starts and that there is enough room to grow everything.
Step Three: Planting Time
Planting time is the most exciting time of spring! Once the last sign of frost has passed, it is okay to plant your vegetables. Be sure to read up on zoning as each area is a different zone-so planting everything in the correct month is important. It is important to handle each veggie start with care, do proper pruning, zoning, and watering.
Pro-tip: Don’t plant in direct sunlight as it can burn the plants. It is best to plant in the morning or evening time when the garden is coolest.
Now it is time to enjoy watching your veggie babies grow into big beautiful plants! Be sure to water them enough, but not too much! Overwatering can cause issues with the plants so it is best to understand watering properly. Once the veggies are big enough to be harvested, it is truly so rewarding! All the while creating a positive impact on the planet.