In the Garden

In the Garden

Now is the time to get outside and assess your garden needs.  Spend some time cleaning up your garden beds, cultivating the soil, and making sure you have enough room to hold all of the plants you want to grow.  Things to think about:

1. Garden Drainage – make sure that you don’t have any low spots in your plot of land that may hold water which can encourage fungal growth and make a big mess when it comes to foot traffic in the garden.
2. Weed Prevention – if you are not planning on having a raised garden then you must think about how you will maintain weeds that will steal nutrients away from your vegetables.  Adding weed barrier between garden rows and having mulch, rock or newspapers cover it will help suppress those nasty weeds.
3. Sunlight – make sure that you choose a spot that gets a good amount of sunlight.  Partial sun may work for some plants, but most like full sun.
4.  Plant Selection – with so many varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers you almost have too many to choose from.  Some vegetables will attract damaging insects like Squash Bugs and Tomato Hornworm so make sure you have a diverse selection of plants.  You can choose from newer hybrid varieties or traditional heirloom plants.
5. Plan – it doesn’t hurt to draw out a plan and note how your plants will be organized.

Be ready for hard, but rewarding work.  Enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labor.