Spring is here, we’re in our new house and I’m ready to start planning a garden. Luckily for me, my Mom has one of the largest gardens in town and has been at it for years. Now that I’m putting my own garden in, I’m so glad that I have her just blocks away to help me get my garden up and going.
Let me tell you, I had many many garden attempts and fails over the years. There truly are some important things to consider when you decide to start a garden. I have five of Moms Best Gardening Tips to share with you today! Be sure to check back in a few weeks when we share more on our new garden.
Mom’s Best Gardening Tips
Here are just a few of my Mom’s Best Gardening tips that will help you get your first garden up and going!
Pick the Best Spot
I can tell you from experience that having too much shade is bad for a vegetable garden, yep, I ruined an entire garden by having it too close to a line of trees that shaded the garden for over half the day.
Find a spot that get’s lost of sun to help those veggies grow.
Also, make sure that you choose a spot that won’t flood during a big rain storm.
Work the Soil – This is by far the most important tip for starting a garden and remember that it can take several years to get your soil “ripe” and the perfect condition for a vegetable garden.
You want to start by tilling up the area where you’ll place the garden, we have a lightweight Mantis Tiller, what I love about this tiller is that it’s easy enough for me to us on my own and it handles heavy work. The Mantis will easily till through root, hard clay, and rocky soil.
After you’ve run the tiller through the garden area, you’ll want to pick up any rocks or debris that might hinder vegetables from growing.
Most nurseries will check your soil testing, this will tell you what you need to add to make the perfect conditions for growing your vegetable garden.
Think about what your family eats and plan your garden around that, I know starting a garden you’ll have the urge to plant a little of everything but if your family doesn’t eat carrots, don’t plant them. That being said, try planting one new vegetable a year, just one. You might find that your family likes something they’ve never tried OR a fresh veggie can taste so much different than a canned veggie that you didn’t think you liked.
Start small, starting out with a huge garden can quickly overwhelm the new gardener and you’ll end up with a garden full of weeds because you lost interest and didn’t keep up with things. Trust me, I know this from experience!
Control Pests
Pests and diseases are the most common cause of garden failure but there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that your garden is protected.
Plant Marigolds as a boarder around your garden, this will help keep bugs out plus it looks really pretty!
Use fencing to keep rabbits and dear out of your garden, especially if you’re not in the city and have more critters that like to get into your garden.
Watering
Watering the right way can increase the yield of plant and avoid many pests and diseases. Generally, one inch water per week including rainfall is sufficient for most vegetables.
Watering during the hottest part of the day is NOT recommended and can burn your plants, it’s best to water early morning or at dusk.
These are just a few of Mom’s best gardening tips that I have found extremely helpful in planning my garden this year. Her sixth tip for me was, if you have any more questions ask Dad. 🙂
Happy Gardening!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mantis.
Chrissy, sensational gardening list! My earliest childhood memories were in my parents garden. I remember potato plants being taller than me.
We have a pesky rabbit since last year that keeps eating our carrots and kale. My wife is testing a natural repellent by planting basil as a border. Apparently rabbits don’t like basil. Also a plant called Dusty Miller. I’m a little skeptical, I’ll let you know how it goes.
Your tips are helpful, especially for new gardeners. I really encourage all your readers to try growing something this spring, even if it’s just a tomato in a pot.
It’s easy to forget that kitchen scraps like garlic and onion tops will grow if you stick them in the ground and need very little TLC for weeks.
Happy gardening Chrissy!
Dave the Gardener