Spring Gardening Tips

4) Cares for your garden

Protect young plants from frost bites: Use garden beds for early planting season; use black plastic cover at night or the right type of mulch to cover the young plants from frost bites.

Irrigate often to keep the soil moist (but not soaking wet) around the root area throughout the growing season. Proper watering can be accomplished by observing the plant and soil. Moisture is needed around the seed for sprouting. Frequent watering will be needed to keep the soil adequately moist and prevent crusting of the surface. A three inch layer of organic mulch will help prevent evaporation. Do not place mulch on top of seedlings or transplants, but around them. As the plant grows, the watering period should be longer, allowing deeper penetration through the root zone.

De-weed the garden: Weeds compete with vegetables for water, nutrients and light. Weeds often harbor insects and diseases. Two important ways to keep down the weeds in and around your garden are mulching and cultivation. Mulching is covering the soil around your vegetables with a protective material. Besides controlling weeds, the mulch will conserve moisture, regulate the soil temperature and keep the vegetables cleaner. Check for the appropriate mulch to use for your garden, especially if you use mulch on your vegetable garden.

Protect your garden from pets and insects: learn about common insects and diseases in your area from local gardeners, books and online resources so you can prepare for how to get rid of these insects and diseases on your plants. When the weather is warmer, insects and bugs are more likely to present in a garden. Recording treatments in a gardening notebook will be helpful in the future when they occur again.

Be patience: gardening can be very rewarding and therapeutic. Gardening teaches us to have patience and care. When it comes to harvesting time, enjoy the fruits of your labor!