You really don't need lots of fancy tools and things to manage your garden. Mostly you just need to nurture it. Water when needed and tend to it along the way. If you prepared your soil well then your maintenance should be relatively easy. The problem is that most of us start out enthusiastic and loose steam toward the end of the season. If we planted too many seeds and then didn't find time for thinning them, things get overgrown and out of control once the growing season really gets going. So early tending to plants is essential in helping to make the maintenance phase easier.
Must have supplies for your garden:
- shovel
- hose or other watering item
- trowel
- soil mix on hand
- garden gloves
Basic maintenance for all gardens:
- Thin seedlings
- Water
- Weed
- Feed
- Rotate crops over time
I don't have to worry a lot about weeds with boxes because I am using my own soil mix. When using turned over soil you just have to keep up with it. A few hours a week, maybe 30 min a day to maintain a good size garden. Weather is another story. It snowed here last weekend and I did have some marigolds already in my Mary garden. My roses, hearty herbs, azaleas, and cold weather crops such as peas all seem to have weathered it well. Of course it's all melted now. My point is to watch the weather and adjust as needed. I worry most here about big storms and wind. So I need to have a plan for protecting my young plants with some kind of shelter. Then later so they don't get scorched in the heat. I also need to be prepared to train them a bit if they are growing on supports of some kind.
Pest Control for your garden:
Bugs can be a big problem too! Often aphids have been the issue, especially for tomatoes. So you can imagine my happiness when gardening last weekend I found 3 lady bugs! This made me very happy to know I have some good insects around to battle some of the bad ones. I don't use insecticides unless there is no other option. Usually I just remove and destroy bests when I see them. Sometimes washing plants with warm dish soap water can help. Pest control I have little experience with so I just read up on things when they occur. But lady bugs are by far the best helpers!
Best Garden Advice:
Keep it simple. Start off easy. A garden takes a long time to develop and for the soil to get good it takes years. My best advice is to try things even if they don't work out well. In that case, you have learned from the experience. And just have fun with it!
10 topics covered in this series are:
- Getting Inspired
- How to Start Box Gardening
- Prepare Your Soil
- Starting Seeds
- Choose Plants You Will Use and Enjoy!
- Planning Out Your Plant Placement
- Tomatoes, Peppers, and Cucumbers
- Favorite Flowers and Herbs
- Tools and Maintenance
- When to Begin Planting
Coming Tomorrow: When to start planting.
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