A Daily Commitment
To make the most and get the most out of your garden, it must be reiterated: a little bit each day, goes a long way. It’s not to say that success in the garden can only be met with an excessive daily time commitment. Anywhere from 5-20 minutes daily for most gardens is enough to satisfy these needs.We focus, therefore, in two areas: weeding and watering. Or at least checking in on both.
Watering should be administered in tandem with the weather and natural conditions. Understanding the watering needs for each crop also helps to ensure you don’t over- or under-water. Remember, that containers and pots will also have different needs owing to the fact that these will dry out faster than in-ground counterparts. There are many myths as to when you should never water — the fact is, you need to find a consistent time that works with your schedule. Consistency is key. With watering complete, weeding begins. When weeds are pulled early in their life-cycles, they don’t have time to create complex rooting structures and can’t significantly compete with your crops. An ideal time to pull them is when the soil is moist and loose.
Vegetable Gardening: Through the Seasons
In the planning stage it’s highly recommended to understand your proposed plants in regard to where and with whom they grow best with. This is called companion planting. For a successful season, we additionally emphasize the key role in successive planting. This is a process by which you continue the garden for the whole season, by planting either the same crops in timed intervals or swapping following a harvest. Not only does this keep fresh vegetables readily available but it allows you to enjoy both cool- and warm-weather crops, extending both your harvest potential and length of season. Once you have an idea of what will be going into the garden at the start of the season, research if they can be successive planted or what rotation to utilize to fill the gaps.
Providing Support
When referencing support, we mean it both literally and figuratively. Many vegetables, as they begin maturing will need staking, trellises and/or caging. Inadequate support can lead to damaged harvests or even plants themselves. Luckily, we have a good understanding of what works well for which crops. A little bit of pre-season research will make this easier. Supporting the vegetables figuratively can refer to many things, including but not limited to pest prevention/control and healthy soil. For the former, check foliage often and look for any signs of damage. React accordingly. Sometimes this can mean pruning or cutting back foliage to increase airflow, treating plants or cutting out infected areas. For the latter, replenish soils if you find there are areas that are more susceptible to soil erosion and loss. In containers, fertilize as needed and consider mulching at season’s end.
Quick Tricks and Tips
With every successive year you’ll learn just a little bit more. Here are a few little tidbits we’ve gathered over the years that we find particularly useful. Use barbeque skewers as row markers and popsicle sticks to label your crops. Use pantyhose to hold melons and other gourds or sections to tie stems to stakes like peppers or tomatoes. Harvest directly into a colander or strainer to sift dirt and for easy rinsing. Tie a bright ribbon to the end of your gardening tools to help find them in your beds or lawns. Plant flowers whenever you can, they’ll help increase pollinator traffic. Invest in a fondue fork as an excellent weeding tool.
As you plan and prepare for an upcoming season, we invite you to peruse the Wild Blog to continue reading on all things home, garden and lifestyle. P.s., if you don’t already, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest!
