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How Does Your Garden Grow

Posted by Granny1952 Monday, June 22, 2009

To have a garden is a wonderful experience. There is nothing better than a tomato fresh off the vine. But as all good things, there is work involved.

First you need to prepare your garden spot. Till the ground, weed it, add nutrients if needed.

Second, choose your plants. What will you and your family eat the most? There is such a wide variety of plants to choose from depending on your region, knowing which one will grow the best is usually on the package.

After you plant, there is the care of the garden. Watering and of course, the weeding. Keeping all the plants healthy from bugs, mites etc…. can be a chore.

Several ways to help cut down on the work is:
 Use landscaping tarp – you can lay it down first and then poke holes for the plants or If you have already planted – lay it down in between the rows.
 Use Cardboard – flatten the cardboard down in between the rows. This will also provide some mulch as the cardboard gets wet; some of it can be worked into the ground at the end of the season.
 Watering – if you have to pay for water, use soaker hoses, or water in the late evening. By watering in the late evening, there is less evaporation and the plants won’t get burnt from the sun.
 Buy or make cages for your tomato plants. Help them stay sturdy and upright. And your beans will need poles to grow up onto; your squash may need room for the vines to stretch out lengthwise.
 Buy ladybugs for your backyard. They will help your plants stay healthy.
 Don’t scare away the bees. They are needed for pollination of your plants. If you get a lot of bees, then plant as far away from the house as possible.
 Make raised garden beds for items like strawberries.

Then the fun part begins, checking the produce to see if it is ripe enough to pick off the vine. Plus you can trading produce with friends, maybe you have extra tomatoes and they have extra cucumbers. If you like to make jam, or can or freeze your fruit and vegetables then you can enjoy them throughout the winter months as well. There are many canning books at the library to assist you in getting the most out of your harvest.

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