Planting a Garden: Start Fast and Easy This Weekend!
Planting a Garden: Start Fast and Easy This Weekend!
The long weekend in May is generally considered to be the start of the gardening season. In this article, let’s do a check in on the most important aspects of your vegetable plot to get you started quickly and easily this holiday weekend. In the following weeks, I’ll dig deeper on some specifics, but for now, let’s jump in and get started.
Working with plants is really easy and so rewarding. Plants want to live, and they are designed by life to thrive. All you have to do is simply give them the right conditions. Start them out right, and you will have your own fresh vegetables. It doesn’t get more local than that!
So what does a garden plot need? It’s much simpler than you think.
Good soil:
Soil can be amended over time. I would recommend working with what you’ve got and simply adding compost to your garden as the growing season progresses. The organic matter and beneficial bacteria and fungi are key to a balanced ecosystem and healthy plants, but can be added at any time. Of course the bonus is that compost is all organic, natural and good for our health too. This weekend, however, keep it simple: turn the soil and get started!
Water access:
Keep it easy. Summer days get hot – great for plants but can be taxing on the gardener! – so you want the watering process to be easy. A little planning ahead of time will ensure your success and commitment to the project. Is your hose long enough? Do you need a watering can for the hard to reach spots? Do you want to try a rain barrel this year? Perhaps invest in a sprinkler for those days when you are short on time.
Seeds and starts:
This is the fun part! You can adapt your garden to your style. I love to start crops from seed but I also buy a few starts every year too. If you have starts that have so far only been indoors or in a greenhouse, I would recommend hardening them off. Simply put them outside a few hours a day increasing the length every time. In about a week your seedlings will be used to the breeze and the sun and will be tough enough to transplant.
And finally, here are 2 quick “advanced” but easy tips to ensure your planting success:
First, plant cool and warm crops only this weekend. Some examples of cool and warm crops are spinach, lettuce, arugula, kale, Swiss chard, peas, beans, carrots. Wait another week or two for the hot crops – the nights are still cool. Hot crops are tomatoes, squash, zucchini, corn, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, basil and melons.
Second, stagger your planting time so you have a longer harvest. Plant a few lettuce heads now, and then again every couple of weeks. You’ll have a continuous supply of fresh greens all summer!
Happy growing, and have a fabulous long weekend! Get out there and enjoy! Back yard farming is easy and so rewarding. Keep it simple and you will be starting your vegetable plot on a great foundation. Stay tuned for more of my articles. I’ll be giving you weekly tips to keep you busy all summer!
Written by Patsy Lussier
