If you’re a novice gardener just starting, this blog post is for you!
We’ve collected the best gardening tips and tricks that seasoned gardeners live by. Each includes some information about how to protect your garden and save money and how to maximize each plant’s potential.
It takes time and effort to maintain a garden, but we promise that it’ll be worth it once you see all your hard work pay off with beautiful fruit, vegetables, and flowers
Here are some of our favorite gardening tips…
Garden Tip #1 – Mulch Your Garden To Save Time & Effort!
We couldn’t decide what to lead with, so we decided to lead with this one. Mulching is one of the best things you can do to improve your garden soil and make your life easier.
Mulch helps by:
Keep your garden soil moist.
They provide nutrients (organic mulches) and supplements to your soil. This will help your plants grow better and produce larger fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Some organic mulches include compost, grass clippings, and peat moss.
It reduces maintenance time because it keeps weeds from growing. So you’ll spend less time pulling weeds and more time doing what you love (maybe that means reading this post!).
Here’s how you can mulch your garden:
- Decide what kind of mulch you want to use. Consider using an organic mulch such as compost, straw, or grass clippings.
- Spread it out around the base of plants, keeping about 2 inches from the plant’s stem. If you’re planting vegetables, spread them out in rows and between plants.
- Spread the mulch out, so it’s about 4-6 inches deep.
- Water your plants and new mulch, so it’s evenly moist.
- Cover with some tarp or blanket to keep the mulch from blowing away and protect fit from rain and snow.
- Enjoy your new and improved garden!
Garden Tip #2 – Purchase Plants That Are Already Growing
Did you know most nurseries sell plants that are already growing? You’ll notice that the plant may not look as healthy as you’d like it to, but you’ll find healthy roots if you dig in the soil.
This is because nurseries are hoping the plants they sell will survive until you get to them in their beds and buy them. They are specifically bred for their size and shape, but often not much else.
But if you dig around, you’ll find healthy roots. If you can’t buy some already grown-up plants, visit your local nursery and ask to see what in-ground plants they have ready to be taken out of the ground.
You can also look for plants marked “Ready To Grow” on their labels.
Garden Tip #3 – Plant With Purpose For The Best Results!
Plan what you want to plant, when you want to plant it, where you want to plant it, and how much time you want to spend on each item before planting. This will help ensure you have the best results by planting your garden with a purpose.
Start by making a list of what you’re trying to accomplish in your garden. This will help you focus on where and when you plant.
Consider the following questions:
How large do I want my tomato plants to be? I like to think big! But that’s me. Some people like their tomatoes tiny.
Do I want to grow tomato plants at all (not everyone likes tomatoes)
If so, when should I plant? My favorite time to plant is early in the year because that’s when it’s easiest to grow them. If I plant too late, they are more likely to get sunburned.
How much time am I willing to spend watering and weeding? Once my tomatoes start growing, it takes about an hour of work a day for two weeks for me. After that, I’m done with weeding and watering. On average, seeds take about three weeks to grow to maturity. If you’re only growing one kind of vegetable, it’s probably best to stick with that variety.
Where do I want to plant them? The best place to plant a tomato is an area where you can keep an eye on your plants and where there are no significant obstacles (big rocks, trees, dense grass).
Consider your needs and how you want to manage your garden. This will help you plan what you are going to plant and where you will plant it.
Garden Tip #4 – Know Your Plant’s Needs To Make Sure They Thrive!
Gardening is a science, so it’s essential to know about your plants and their needs! This will help ensure that they grow better and produce more fruit, vegetables, and flowers than if they were planted in a different location or given extra care.
If you’d like to learn more about what to expect from plants, check out this post:
Garden Tip #5 – Water Early & Often In The Spring & Fall!
Finally, one of my proudest gardening tips! I admit that I’m a little obsessed with watering my garden. No exaggeration there. But it is essential to water early and often in the spring and fall when it’s still warm outside because the growing season is only a couple of months long, and you need to make the most of it.
Now that spring is here; we’ve been having a lot of rain this year, which is excellent for my garden because it’s tough to water in the day’s heat. It would help if you water early and often keep the soil moist below the surface.
If you have a watering can, use that to water, or get yourself a garden hose if you’re looking for gardening tips. Keeping your garden moist will help it grow faster and produce more fruit, vegetables, and flowers.
And here’s one of my tips to help you keep your garden happy: plant some fruit trees if you don’t already have some.
If you’re wondering how much to water your garden (don’t worry, we’ve got a post on that as well!
Garden Tip #6 – Peppers, Tomatoes, And Other Cool Plants Are Fun To Grow!
Of course, all of the above tips should help you grow your garden and make your life easier. But what about the fun stuff?
My favorite gardening tips are about the plants I’m trying to grow for eating or decorating. These plants can be fun and easy, but I’ve always been a bit intimidated because some plants are rare, and you never know what you will get! I always feel like a little kid when I’m planting these plants!
But if you have never grown peppers, tomatoes, and other excellent plants, it may be time to try. A few of them are:
Peppers (of course!)
Tomatoes – I love to grow my tomatoes. I grew my first one more than 20 years ago, and they were delicious! Start with the small garden varieties if you’re new to growing your tomatoes. These are easier to grow and more likely to survive a drought or cold winter. They are also less likely to produce fruit in frost-prone areas.
Radishes – They come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. They are super easy to grow and even easier to eat – slice them in half, wash and enjoy!
Basil – They are pretty, taste great, and come back every year. I love the variety of colors that you can get too. And did you know that all basil has the same number of calories? That’s right – just one calorie! Basil is one of my favorite plants because it’s so easy to grow, looks beautiful, and tastes great on almost anything.
Lettuce – Lettuce is super easy to grow and produces edible leaves. You can plant lettuce in a container or even in pots on the deck. Plant your lettuce seeds for about 2-3 weeks before planting other plants like tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. You can also start lettuce indoors about six weeks before planting outside.
