I’m always looking for new ways to get what I want out of my garden, and over the last few years, I’ve learned that the best way to make your garden successful is by planning ahead all year long. I plan ahead by creating my own “gardening wish list” at the start of every growing season. I wish for things like an impressive crop yield, pest-free plants (and easy ways to make that happen!), and tons of sunshine and rain to keep my plants happy all year long! Of course, it’s incredibly difficult to manipulate the weather, but I think sunshine is always something worth wishing for! This year, your garden can look the very best ever with the little help of a gardening wish list…here’s how to make one!
I Wish For…
Tons Of Vegetables…All Year Long
Don’t we all want a high vegetable yield out of our gardens every year? I know that I do! To make sure you have a bountiful harvest come late summer and fall, make sure you plan ahead for it now. Purchase seeds early (they tend to be on sale when not in-season) and draw up a plan for your garden, pairing seeds that do well next to one another. You can learn more about planning your garden here, using this guide of mine.
Pest Free Plants
Pests really test my patience as a gardener, so I ALWAYS put pest-free plants on my gardening wish list! To make sure my plants are pest-free all season, I’ll take a few preventative measures. For starters, I make sure to encourage beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs, and spiders throughout my garden. They feed on many of the “bad” bugs. Additionally, planting crops some crops next to one another will help reduce pest problems before they even begin. Sometimes, I will even cover susceptible plants with netting to prevent infestations from happening.
Healthy Soil
For a large yield, you’ll definitely want to make sure that your soil is completely healthy! To make sure that my soil is in the best condition possible to sustain growth, I’ll work a few inches of organic mulch in with the soil. The amount of organic compost you use will be dependent on the type of soil you have. Additionally, a great way to keep soil nutrient levels high is to add a few inches of mulch to the base of your plants.
Plenty of Water
While I hope and pray for plenty of rain, I know that it’s impossible to control the weather! And while I can’t control the weather, I can control how often my plants are watered with this self-watering system from Amazon. This is great if you are going on vacation but don’t trust a neighbor to care for your plants (I get it…) you can control the sprinkler activity from your phone!
Minimal Weeds
Wouldn’t a totally-weed free garden be awesome? Weeding is seriously the worst! Instead of spending hours every Saturday morning pulling weeds out of your soil, prevent them in the first place! I prevent weeds in my garden by laying down newspaper and placing a few inches of soil over top. It’s nearly impossible for the plants to penetrate the paper, leaving your garden looking great. Also, an extra layer of mulch is a great way to keep the weeds at bay!
Leave a Reply