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Planting and Maintaining Your
Garden
by Kim Tilley
http://www.frugal-moms.com
Ok, you've started the seeds or bought the transplants,
you've prepared the soil and patiently waited for your last frost date to pass
so that none of your seedlings are killed from the cold.
It's planting time! Some tips and hints:
Plant depth-plant the seedlings or transplants the same depth/level
they were in their containers. The exception to this rule is the tomato
plant. Plant tomatoes up to their first true leaves (the picture of these
leaves is on the back of the seed packet). I like to lay tomatoes on their
side. The more stem that is under the ground, the more roots the plants will
sprout, and the healthier it will be!
Plant spacing-there is usually a guide to how far apart you should
space your plants on the seed package or transplant label. If you are
gardening in raised beds, you can usually put things a little closer
together. If your space is very limited, consider growing things vertically.
The book "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew is a wonderful
resource.
Mulching-Conserve water and prevent weeds by mulching around plants
with straw (not hay, it has seeds!), newspaper, compost, or grass clippings.
If you are seeding your plants directly into your garden, mulch after the
seedlings have come through and gotten a little height to them.
Watering-Water your garden daily if you are starting seeds directly
in the garden for the first week. Once your seeds start to sprout, plan on
watering your garden weekly if Mother Nature does not do it for you. Here in
the Midwest, Mid-June through Mid-July is dry here. It's the only time I
have to water the garden. I usually just keep tabs on the plants and the
amount of rainfall. If it has not rained in over a week and the plants are a
little droopy, I water.
When to water-try to water in the morning if you can. If you water
during the heat of the day, a lot of that water is going to evaporate before
it is absorbed into the ground. If you water in the evening, the water may
not all absorb, which can allow molds and mildews to grow.
Where to water- at the roots! Don't water the leaves, they can start
molding or even rotting! Always water at the bottom of the plants, not at
the top!
Pests-I garden organically, which means no bug sprays. If you watch
your plants closely, you really don't need bug sprays. You can see when
something is eating on them, and usually that something is not too far away.
I handpick the bugs off and squash them. Some people find this a bit
sadistic and grotesque. If you have little boys who love bugs, put the
unwanted bugs in a jar with some holes and let the boys take car of
them-this will keep them entertained! There are tons of ways to manage your
garden organically. Learn which bugs are really pests and learn which ones
will eat the pests. Try attracting birds to your garden, or even bats! To
keep out larger pests, you may have to resort to more drastic measures. My
gardens are now fenced to keep out dogs, cats, and bunnies. Chipmunks are
still a problem, but they are really like old friends anymore. I just plant
extra for them, they don't eat much! For more information on organic pest
control, check out the magazine "Organic Gardening" by Rodale
Press.
Harvest time
Enjoy the fruits and veggies of your labor!!! The key to this is planting
what you enjoy eating. I have planted some funky things in my gardening
experience, but always look forward to fresh tomatoes, peppers, squash, green
beans, herbs and lettuces. I rarely buy fresh veggies during the summer and
fall months, just buying the ones I don't grow. I have a very small garden, but
we still get a lot of use out of it and have a lot of fun. You can too! Take
notes this year while you garden. Write down what worked and what didn't.
You'll have a head start next year! Most of all, have fun!
© Copyright 1999-2000 Kim Tilley
| Kim
Tilley, a tightwad at heart, is the mother of three active
boys and the founding editor of Frugal-Moms.com.
Frugal by force and later by choice, Kim cut her income by 60%
to stay at home with her children and discovered that anyone
can live better for less. Her work has appeared in print
publications such as The Tightwad Gazette. In her free time,
she entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to
create something from nothing! |
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