Written by Chip Glennon for GLENNON REAL ESTATE EXPERTS
There are two main areas of concern when planting your garden. The first is when to plant, the second is the spacing of seeds and plants to allow for proper growth.
When to plant will depend on the specific type of plant and the growing zone in which you live. This will often be reflected in the plant’s hardiness. Some of the more hardy plants should be planted before the last frost, while the more fragile plants will require warmer soil.
Seed spacing is critical so plants not only have the room to grow but, in the case of flowers, will also look attractive. And when it comes to fruits and vegetables, you don’t want plants to be spaced so closely that they’ll be fighting for water or nutrients.
When to Plant
Every vegetable, flower, and herb has its own “personality” and hardiness level which will determine the optimal time to be planted. Your growing zone is also a critical factor to consider when planting an outdoor garden. Often, gardeners can be fooled by a sunny day or two when the ground may still yet be too cold to plant seeds. If a plant is recommended to be planted after the last frost date, you may wish to wait about a week after that date to be sure.
Another way to help plants get a start is by buying starter plants or starting plants from seeds indoors. Many gardeners will start seeds using a little soil in each space in an empty egg carton, allowing them to sprout. When they get large enough they can then be transferred to a larger container or graduate to the full garden.
The goal is allowing a plant to survive long enough to be able to withstand the average temperatures of your growing zone. You also want to plant them soon enough to reach maturity before the first frost. This will take some research on the particular plants you intend to grow.
Spacing Your Seeds
Some underestimate the importance of proper spacing when it comes to planting seeds. This is understandable due to their original size and appearance. Gardeners will want to know if a plant tends to grow up, out, or around. Some plants, like sunflowers and corn for example, will grow straight up, using minimal ground space. Other plants like cucumbers and melons tend to sprawl out over the ground. Still, others like tomatoes and peppers grow a bit bushier at lower levels. These factors will not only help you determine how to space similar seeds, but how to space seeds of different types from each other.
The philosophy is similar for flowers. Knowing how the seed will eventually grow and to what height is critical in determining seed spacing.
Pre-packaged seed packages generally have good information on seed spacing. Some seeds, especially flower seeds are even available in pre-spaced mats and tape. Simply cover with soil, water and watching them grow!
Garden Maintenance
While not every aspect of garden maintenance may be enjoyable, it is a big reason so many decide to undertake the hobby. There’s something about nurturing a growing plant, especially from a seed, to blossom into a colorful bloom or produce an edible fruit or vegetable. Watering, pruning and even weeding is a bit like parenting, keeping plants on the straight and narrow.
In this section will cover the important aspects of gardening that include watering, weeding, mulching, and pruning.
Watering
The biggest problem with watering plants is that it is frequently done too often. More is not better when it comes to watering plants.
Gardeners can benefit from remembering the key to watering is focusing on the roots. Watering deeply helps develop healthy roots, this allows the plant to get nutrients from the soil. When watering too frequently or not deeply enough, roots are forced to stay near the surface to retrieve it. In addition, if these roots remain wet all the time they can develop root rot. This is true with container plants as it is when watering outdoors.
Gardeners should strive for soil that is moist, but not wet and soil that can crumble but is not dry. In almost every case this can be done through a deep thorough watering twice a week, again, focusing on the roots.
First made popular in agricultural farming, drip-irrigation systems have become trendy in home gardens. These drip systems put a slow, measured flow of water more directly to the roots. This minimizes evaporation and uses less water overall when compared to sprinklers or hose watering.
Most gardeners feel watering is best in the early morning or evenings. This allows the water time to better sink into the soil before the sun evaporates it.
Weeding
While weeding certainly makes a garden look better, its real purpose is more fundamental. Weeding helps your desired plants from competing with unwanted plants for water, sunshine, and nutrients. While pulling and digging up weeds becomes a pastime for some gardeners there are ways to lessen the amount of weeding that may be necessary.
- Weed when the time is right. A good time to weed is a day or two after a soaking rain or watering when new weeds are popping up. Young weeds are easier to remove than old weeds with more established roots.
- Focus on watering the roots of your plants. Plants need water and sunlight to grow, so there’s no need to water the entire surface area of your garden, this can promote unwanted weed growth.
- Minimize sunlight for weeds. The less sunlight a weed has, the less ability it has to grow. Spacing desired pants closer together can prevent sunlight from getting to weeds.
- Don’t disturb the soil. Some gardeners are actually helping weeds grow by constantly hoeing or disturbing the soil between plants. Oftentimes this is just bringing weed seeds to the surface where they can start to grow.
Another aspect of maintenance can also help minimize the weeding problem in gardens. That is the art of mulching.
Mulching
There are so many benefits to mulching, almost every gardener should do it. Mulch can block out sunlight, preventing weeds for growing, and also can attract insects that feed on weed seeds. It helps to keep the soil moist and cool through the hot summer days. Mulch can also add a finished, attractive look to a garden. And best yet, and it is inexpensive and easy to apply!
It is important to buy quality mulch that doesn’t contain unwanted seeds. Never mulch to more than two to three inches deep. A light covering of mulch over landscape fabric in seldom dug areas like under bushes is an effective strategy in keeping the area looking great while battling weeds.
Mulch really only needs to be replaced if it begins to negatively affect the appearance of a garden or when it is over three inches thick.
Pruning
Pruning is generally done for one of two main purposes. Gardeners prune to promote/control plant growth and to keep a plant trimmed and attractive. Many plants do not require pruning at all and frequently some prune far more often than needed. For most plants, an annually pruning is sufficient to promote growth, although “dead-heading” some flowering plants can keep them actively blooming.
Various plants can benefit from pruning at differing times of the year.
- Evergreens – Evergreens are best trimmed in early spring but can also be kept in shape throughout the growing season. This is a type of plant that doesn’t need pruning to spur growth.
- Berry Plants – Prune when dormant.
- Fruit Trees – Prune when dormant.
- Flowering Trees, Vines, and Shrubs – Best pruned in the very late winter or early spring.
- Perennials – These can be pruned in the fall or spring, depending on the plant.
Pruning tools range from pruning shears to loopers to pruning saws.
Other Gardening Tips
Gardeners are a terrific community of people willing to share tips and tricks they’ve learned along the way. While some stay to themselves, most are willing to be helpful and share their knowledge. It is easy to find gardening blogs, articles, and chat rooms. If you have a problem, odds are someone has experienced and resolved the very same issue. Here are some tips and tricks in major areas of gardening that may be helpful as you explore and enhance your gardening experience.
Harvesting
One of the most frequently asked questions in gardening involves the best time to cut, pick or harvest from a garden. This is because each growing season is unique and when plants are “ripe” doesn’t mean it is the best time to pick them.
Some plants, like cabbage, kale, carrots and Brussels sprouts actually gain in flavor and sweetness after a frost in the fall. There is no hurry in harvesting these plants.
Plants that are grown for their roots, leaves or stems should be harvested early. These include broccoli, lettuce, and basil.
Allow tomatoes to ripen while still on the plant, while beans and eggplants are better tasting when they are harvested young. Green pumpkins will not turn orange in storage, so they should be allowed to ripen on the vine. When growing onions and potatoes, allow the tops to die before harvesting. Peppers are very forgiving and can be picked either early or when very ripe. They will have the most potent flavor when very ripe, however.
One pro tip is to pick vegetables and fruit in the early morning. This is when they are cooler, crisper and have a higher water content.
Many seed packets will have an estimated “time to grow” or “time to harvest” on their packaging. While not exacting, this will provide a reasonable estimate to keep you on the lookout!
Transplanting
Transplanting is a valuable and often necessary part of gardening. It may be required when too many plants are in the same limited area or when a single plant has overgrown its container. The bottom line is plants need room to grow and sometimes they need to be transplanted to get that room. It is also a way to share your plants with others who appreciate gardening.
Potted plants need to be transplanted when they become root-bound. This is when the plant’s roots don’t have sufficient room to expand and help the plant grow. Turn potted plants upside down and push from holes in the bottom of the pot. Be careful if you must pull down on the plant stems for removal. Wet down the roots immediately and plant into a larger pot or hole in the ground that is also very wet. This will promote quick growth and acclimate the plant to its new environment. Mulch around the plant to retain moisture. Keep the soil moist and fertilize.
Transplanting plants can shock them if not done properly, it’s often recommended to transplant on a day with some overcast, but they can often come back with proper care. Transplanting is a somewhat delicate operation and care must be taken not to damage roots in the process.
Preparing Your Garden for Winter
In some very moderate growing zones, plants can be grown throughout the entire year. Gardeners have the opportunity to change the type of plants grown throughout the cooler, dryer season. In areas where winters can be less unforgiving, next year’s plants will appreciate the care you take in preparing your garden for the winter season.
This is the time to clean up your garden and remove unneeded vegetation. If it is a flower garden, cut back perennials and even save some clippings. Mulch the area to keep in warmth. Depending on your goals, type of climate and motivation, you may be able to keep some plants indoors through the winter.
If your larger, outdoor vegetable garden has been harvested, you can turn the soil so remaining vegetation becomes compost. Don’t be afraid to add additional compost throughout the cold weather months. This will turn into valuable vitamins and nutrients and give you a head start for next spring’s planting season!
Common Problems to Avoid
No matter the skill level, some gardeners often repeat the same mistakes. Here are some common problems to avoid.
- Not watering properly. Possibly due to the fact that gardening can be so relaxing and connective to nature, some gardeners appreciate the time it takes watering. While it is true proper watering takes time, it does not need to be done frequently. A good deep watering twice weekly is sufficient. Avoid watering daily. Remember too, that nature provides its own system for watering. You only need to supplement when the rain is insufficient.
- Wrong plants at the wrong time. Learn what plants grow best in your growing zone and plant them at the suggested time of the year. Strawberries, for example, are ready for harvesting in Florida in March when they won’t even be ready to plant in northern territories. Leafy greens like lettuce and kale won’t perform well in the summer heat of the South but will do well in the Midwest in June and July.
- Allowing plants to become root-bound. Pants grown in pots or containers have a tendency to become root-bound, often without the owner knowing. If a plant begins to lose its vibrancy or stops growing, it is likely it has outgrown its home and should be transplanted.
- “Forcing” a garden into a space. Sometimes the site for a garden is chosen based on convenience or the available area. If the site does not get sufficient sunlight for plant growth however, it will not be suitable. Don’t force a garden into an area where it may be destined to fail.
- Over/under fertilizing. Like their human counterparts, plants need proper nutrition to thrive. Over or under “eating” is not healthy. First, make sure that any fertilizer chosen is appropriate for the type of plants(s) you are growing. Then follow label direction on how and how often to fertilize.
Simply avoiding the common problems above can help go a long way in ensuring a successful garden.
As we’ve shown, gardens are first and foremost meant to be enjoyed. They provide so much value in terms of beauty, nutrition, satisfaction, comfort, and relaxation. While we’ve tried to demonstrate the value of many forms of gardens, the list is almost endless. If tending to and growing flowers or vegetables, for example, is not your thing, consider water gardens, zen gardens, rain gardens, decorative hedge gardens, xeriscape gardens or one of the many other options available.
A garden can help boost your mood and feel rejuvenated. It can connect you with nature and provide a sense of relaxation and accomplishment. Many times, it all starts with a single, tiny seed. Enjoy.
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