Does anyone else randomly become highly motivated and determined to start gardening and then remember all of the work that goes into maintaining one? Yeah, us too… The thought can be a bit daunting, but the reward is well worth it. Don’t fret, we’ve got plenty of tips to make the task of gardening a little easier on you and much more worthwhile!
Plan & Organize What You’d Like to Plant or Grow
Don’t just wing it and plant a bunch of stuff. You’ll get out of your garden what you put into it. I know we’re not in Kindergarten, but one of the best ways to start is with a drawing of what you want your garden to look like. Get a big piece of paper, markers or colored pencils, and draw your vision. Try color coding it too, so that the sections are easier to see (Tomatoes = red, Peas = purple, etc.) Then, you can carry that color code over to the actual garden outline. Get some posts, tape/paint the posts the color that matches each section, and place 3 or 4 of them at the edges of each of your plots.You can even get colored string and tie it to the posts to create a physical outline of your plot. This makes it much easier to see exactly where you want each plant to go, as well as how much of each plant’s seeds you’ll need (Pro Tip: make sure you buy a little more seed than you think you need for each plant, as this leaves room for changes and reorganizing). Although you don’t have to agonize over your gardening plans, make sure you have envisioned, written down, and mapped out what you need and want.
Garden Placement is Crucial
We completely understand the “impulsive gardner mode.” We’ve all been there. This is when you get super excited that nice weather is here, so you haphazardly build a not-so-stable fence in whatever clear space you have, throw some three-year-old seeds down, and pat yourself on the back for creating a fantastic garden. Then, three months later, you still have no plants. One of the many pitfalls of an impulsive garden is not placing the garden in the right area. It can’t be at the bottom of your hilly garden, or underneath a tree, or near your chicken coop or doghouse. The most ideal place for a garden is somewhere that it will get lots of sunlight, get some shade, get rain but not in excess, and be protected from critters and people.
How To Keep Insects and Critters Away
There’s nothing worse than swarms of bugs parading around your garden. Obviously, you need worms, grubs, and soil-living bugs to help keep your soil healthy. But bugs like aphids, beetles, stink bugs, or mites that feed on plants are not what you want. Luckily, there are multiple ways you can keep them from snacking on your garden. According to Gardeningknowhow.com, you can use pieces of aluminum foil to deter insects, mammals, and birds from feasting. The foil reflects sunlight into the eyes of animals and insects, which bothers them and makes them go away. Who knew! Plus, it’s also not that tasty, so if a beetle or bunny tries to munch, it’ll assume the rest of your garden tastes like yucky aluminum and will move on. You can place aluminum foil and the base of trees and shrubs, hang strips of aluminum foil in trees, place strips or balls of it in and around your garden, or grind it up and mix it with your soil. You also need to make sure that there is a fence around your garden, and that the fence is sturdy, tall, and has no open spots. People forget that rats can crawl under fences, bunnies and squirrels can hop over them, and deer are a lot taller than you might think. If your pest problem is really bad, you can also try pesticides, but keep it minimal, and try to find a pesticide that won’t harm the environment too much.
Why You Need to Mulch
Yes, mulch is weird looking and sometimes smelly, but it can really help your plants. Mulching can provide extra fertilization, control weeds, and just make your garden look really nice. However, make sure you pick the right kind of mulch, don’t over-mulch, and apply mulch at the correct depth and distance from your plant. Read our blog post on Mulching for more help. Furthermore, to schedule hassle free mulching delivery and installation, visit our mulching service page!