If you can take notes on a topic, you won’t have to decide on a new workable plan tomorrow.
When I make the same mistake over and over, I feel foolish. If we can keep a journal for the year and record experiences, it can be a start for planning the garden next year.
Records can range from the plan for planting our garden to the results of the soil tests, the pests that we have seen in our garden when they appear, and how we managed the pests and the results.
This journal can be a plan that gives us a better chance at controlling the pests next year. If you place sticky yellow traps in your garden and stroll through them, you can evaluate your trap for new pests on the trap daily and record it in your journal.
Applying the correct amount of natural organic fertilizers for next year at the right time will aid in planning a great garden next year. A good garden journal will guide you to planting a better garden next year.
Weeding must be a consideration. Weed seed flies in on the wind and could also have been hiding in the soil for as many as 40 years before we expose the seed to the conditions that are good for the weed seed to germinate. You weed by manually pulling the weeds, hoeing, or roto-tilling the weeds.
I like the alternative of mulching the garden so that there are no weeds in a vegetable garden. The weeding solutions can take some time, are expensive in the form of chemicals, and can be hard work.
Weeding can be a backbreaking job and a good reason to give up gardening. Over the past few years, I have learned about cover crops and mulches that can provide many answers to this weeding issue. Proper mulching can solve several different challenges.
Among the considerations in planting any garden is proper watering. Seedlings should never be allowed to dry out, so water daily. Taper off as the plants get stronger and the roots get established.
Following the intense watering that the seedling needs will depend on your soil, humidity, and rainfall. I test my garden at least weekly by pushing my finger into the soil. If the soil is moist higher than my first knuckle or one inch, the plants are safe and don’t need extra water.
A good mulching job should provide a good chance to reduce the watering needs and weed protection of your vegetables. In the past, I have used many types of mulches to help the plants grow in the beds we install.
Mulch can prevent weed seeds from getting the sunlight they need to germinate. Excessive mulch may prevent your seeds from germinating. If you have deep-rooted cover crops, the water will permeate the soil deeper.
Straw, shredded bark, and river rock are used as mulch, to protect the soil, reduce the weeds, and slow the water evaporation. A vegetable garden plan based on mulch that will decay in a few months is the most effective.
For your flower beds where you grow your perennials use bark chips. Plastic mulch also reduces watering needs. If we have a drought, you should water your plants more. One of the tricks in gardening that I recently came across is mixing the center of new diapers with equal amounts of soil.
This combination works well with greenhouse flat plants. This mix would be best for a container garden.
Protecting your garden comes in many forms. Following your journal notes will protect your crop next year. Mulching has a multifaceted function in your garden’s soil. It prevents erosion, cools the roots of your garden plants, and reduces water evaporation.
Mulching also reduces weeds and encourages the beneficial soil rhizosphere to grow. Enhancement of the soil occurs as the mulch breaks down and fresh nutrients enter the soil.
Next week, we’ll start looking at the soil turning and planting our vegetables.
I hope that you have a good stroll through your garden and your new garden. If you see a challenge in your garden drop an email to ericlarson546@yahoo.com.