How To Maintain Your Vegetable Garden
Keeping a healthy garden requires regular attention and monitoring throughout the growing season. The basics of sun, water, and nutrients are the easy part. When planting seeds or transplants matching the growing requirements to the garden’s microclimates is one key consideration. I take this one last opportunity to assess soil temperatures. If I find they are a little below recommended temperature it helps me anticipate growth patterns.
Get your soil thermometer here! I LOVE this one.
General Garden Maintenance
Regular maintenance is ongoing. Soon after planting, mulching is beneficial. Mulch will help prevent weeds and helps keep moisture in the soil. When the seeds are first planted and have broken through the ground, working at ground level is easier on the back. You can inspect and thin plants at an early stage in order for the plants to grow They need space and if the plants are too crowded, their growth could be stunted. Thinning helps to reduce the competition among plants for water and nutrients that are found in the soil. This is especially true for vine crops such as squashes and different types of melons like cantaloupe and watermelon. I use a garden kneeler which is more comfortable than bending especially when I spend many hours in the garden.
If you are using transplanted seedlings, the directions will be found on the seed packets for the proper spacing. I like to use Botanical seeds.
They have helpful information on the inside of their packets. As a beginner gardener, getting as much information about planting and transplanting is useful in understanding your plants.
Pruning, Staking, or Trellises
Pruning helps support plants as it will take away aberrant growth. The excess growth takes away from the main stalks. There will always be some damaged growth so pruning and trimming damaged foliage is needed. Always use sharp tools that have been cleaned.
My favorite pruners are these. They are sharp and cut clean edges.
Check out my post here on all your must have garden tools!
Some plants such as crawling ones require additional support for good growth. This year I plan to grow my cucumbers on trellises for additional space needed in my garden. Using stakes or trellises will help support plants and can be easily be made. Tomatoes for example also need stakes or some type of cage. Those are best put in place soon after planting.
Weeding
The look of weeds in my garden is not just about the untidy appearance of the garden but they actually have a negative impact on the health of your plants. Weeds compete for water, nutrients, and sun so when I see weeds I pull them. I try to pull weeds when I see them while they are small. This will not allow them to develop long deep roots which then become more of a chore to pull them. I am in my garden daily and this method has proved to be the easiest. I plan to utilize a heavy layer of straw in and around my plants and between my rows to further cut down on weeds. If weeds manage to breach whatever mulch you use, promptly remove them before they begin to rob your garden plants and become a haven for pests and disease.
Watering
Depending on the weather and type of garden, watering will be a daily task. Weather in the southern part of the country can have various and sporadic weather patterns. I know for sure that my garden gets watered daily and sometime twice during the dog days of summer. Plants generally require at least an inch of water every week and seedlings need more to get started. The watering method should be used which limits moisture on the plant’s foliage. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation only provide water to the soil around the roots of the plant. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation also help the water budget. You water exactly where it is needed. We made our own drip irrigation for about $100.00. We then put a timer on our outdoor spigot so we control the start times and length of time the system drips. Watering cans and garden hoses are the least expensive options, but they more labor intensive.
To maintain a healthy garden and budget friendly water bill consider the tips below:
- Group plants with the same water needs together.
- Build good soil with amendments such as compost before planting.
- Select soaker hoses or drip irrigation.
- Limit water to the plants foliage.
Controlling Pests
Inspect plants for garden pests like aphids and cucumber beetles. Insects and bugs are a natural part of the a garden and most of them have good roles in the garden. They can be pollinating plants, recycling nutrients and eating other pests. Regularly walk your garden and examine plants to make sure they are pest free. To keep pests at bay consider the tips below:
Plant your plants with plenty of room for air flow which helps cut down on fungal disease. If plants are too close together a diseased leaf can come in contact with a healthy leaf.
- Remove pests and dead or diseased plants as you see them.
- Plants should be suited for what location of the garden you are considering.
- Grow plants that will attract beneficial insects and worms.
- Keep a resource available to identify pests.
Most gardens have a practical purpose but that does not mean it can’t be beautiful. A well-maintained vegetable garden can be as beautiful as a perennial flower garden. The key to a tidy garden is maintenance and attention.
