harvest

6 Time Saving Tips For Gardening

It’s officially that time of the year to start getting busy with planting and preparing your garden for harvest. If you haven’t already started growing your indoor buds, now is the perfect time to check your soil outside and see if the temperature is warm and dry enough to work with. Don’t have a lot of time to start a garden? Don’t sweat it! Here are 6 time saving tips for gardening that’ll get you up and running in no time at all.

Start with a plan

For anyone looking to save time and be efficient, planning ahead is always the best option when doing virtually anything. Specifically with gardening, having a thought out plan can save you time trying to decide where you want each plant to go while you’re working outside. For additional productivity, make a decision regarding what you plan on replacing the short-lived plants with, such as lettuce and spinach.

Keep tools close

Rather than running around when you finally find time to get outside to work on the garden looking for your tools, have a designated area close to the garden where you store them. A lot of gardeners lose time outside when they are disorganized, and this is something you can easily change. Whether you have a bucket full of your commonly used tools or you have a belt with all of them attached, use whatever method that will save you the most time.

Cut off weeds

One of the most annoying parts of preparing a garden for the spring is the process of getting rid of all of the dead plants from the previous year and any weeds that have grown since then. A time saving trick is to chop any low-growing weeds all at once as opposed to plucking each one individually. Use a sharp blade to slice beneath weeds and then turn them over to completely bury the leaves. As the leaves begin to rot, weeds can help to nourish the soil and act as a green manure.

Mulch it up

Spreading mulch is a no-brainer, but most importantly you need to make sure you spread it efficiently and evenly. Using the tined edge of a rake, you can pull and spread the mulch. Then by flipping the rake over, even out the mulch on the bed.

Water water water

Plants need water to grow, and without water, you will be wasting your time trying to grow yourself a garden. With that said, invest in a soaker hose rather than a traditional watering can so that you can water with ease. The great thing about these hoses is that the water can be left on for many hours, giving you the opportunity to work on something else.

Take small steps

No garden is going to grow overnight, and it’s important to keep that mind set as opposed to pushing a garden to grow faster. A huge mistake a lot of us make is that we get impatient with the process and rather than letting your garden take the time it needs, we over-water and spend too much time monitoring the process. Take a step back and let your garden grow and you’ll be pleased with the results by the time summer rolls around!

Attached Images:

Â License: Creative CommonsÂ image source

Ann Michaels is a freelance writer and gardening advocate. She loves making her garden look as beautiful as possible, which is why she buys religious garden statues to improve the overall look. She loves offering tips and tricks to other gardening advocates and hopes her suggestions help!

Things To Consider Before Setting Up Your Home Garden

by Trish

Having home grown vegetables is a nice perk. Not only are they delicious, and you are able to know exactly how they were grown, growing your own vegetables can help you live healthier and help keep your pocketbook a little fuller.

The idea of having a garden is commendable, but there are some things to consider before you get started on your home vegetable garden. By thinking these things through ahead of time, you will be able to build, plant and grown a garden that fits perfectly in your lifestyle.

1. Location
The first thing to consider is do you have a location for a garden? Do you have an area that the sun hits for at least six to eight hours a day? How much space is this area? It all matters, especially when you figure out what fruits and vegetables you want to grow.

2. Harvest
Once you decide on the location of your home garden, now is the time to figure out what you will grow. If you are limited in space, potatoes, tomatoes and other large plants may not be your best bet, but smaller crops of peppers and strawberries may workout just perfectly. Would you rather have a dense supply of one to two plants or a small wide variety of plants with just one or two of each? You will also need to consider how you will plant your garden. If you have large plants in front of small plants, they may cast shadow and diminish the much needed sunlight for the smaller plants. There are also some plants that grow well near each other and vice versa – all things you should consider before planting.

3. Preparation
Before planting, it is a good idea to prep the soil and plan an irrigating system. Will you grow your fruits and vegetables organically? The richness of the soil will also help your plants. If you do not live in an area with good soil, you may have to purchase some. Either way, remember fruits and vegetables are best grown with a nutrient-rich soil and need plenty of water. Speaking of water – will you run a base line irrigation hose throughout your plants or simply run sprinklers? When planning your irrigation method, make sure you plan a way for the water to run off as well – plants do not do well if they are not drained properly.

4. Boarders
Adding a fence around your garden is a good idea to keep away critters who may want to harvest your garden before you are ready. By taking this extra precaution, you will be saving your hard work by keeping rabbits, raccoons and other animals out.

Now that you know what items you should consider before setting up your home garden, you can begin tackling these tasks and get your home prepped for a prosperous harvest come this summer. Happy growing!

Kathryn Thompson, health advocate andÂ assistant to Susan Wright DVM who is the staffÂ expert for Dog training CollarsÂ , devotes part of her time providing encouraging advice regarding life changesÂ and healthy livingÂ that make a difference.

Seven Beginners Tips For Growing Delicious Tomatoes

by Trish

Thanks to the delicious and simple nature of home grown tomatoes, they are a popular choice for those attempting to grow vegetables for the first time. Though the activity isnâ€™t particularly complicated, it does require care and patience. And if youâ€™ve never grown vegetables before, it also requires that you educate yourself on a few tomato growing basics. Here are seven beginners tips for successful tomato growing.

Choose the Right Tomatoes

The first step towards growing delicious tomatoes is of course planting the right seeds. Donâ€™t blindly head into your local garden store looking for tomato seeds, do your research on the different types available. Different tomatoes not only have different tastes, they also require different conditions to flourish.

Leave Ample Space

One of the most common beginners mistakes when it comes to growing tomatoes is failing to provide sufficient space. If you plan on growing your tomatoes upright, you should aim to leave approximately two feet between each plant. If you plan on growing your tomatoes along the ground however, four feet between each plant is more suitable.

Provide Ample Sunlight

Another absolute requirement of successful tomato growing is sunlight. Tomato plants require a minimum of seven hours direct sunlight each day. If you attempt to grow tomatoes in an area that doesnâ€™t meet this requirement, youâ€™re going to be left with lots of foliage but very little fruit. The production of fruit is an energy intensive process for plants and that energy comes from the sun.

Donâ€™t Plant More Than You Need

Donâ€™t underestimate just how many tomatoes can be harvested from a single tree. If you plant more than one tree for each person in your family, you can expect a lot of waste. And that figure includes a few free tomato flavoured gifts for your neighbours. Itâ€™s also worth noting that the more tomatoes you plant, the more maintenance your tomato patch is going to require.

Use Fertilizer, in Moderation

If you want fast results, fertilizer is very much recommended but it must be used in moderation. If you use more than the recommended amount, your tomatoes might grow faster but in turn, theyâ€™ll be far more prone to disease. Itâ€™s also important to choose your fertilizer carefully. You should limit your search to those which have been specifically designed for use on tomato plants.

Keep an Eye on Water Levels

Even more important than fertilizer is ample water. If rain has been a little scarce of late, you need to get the hose out. Tomatoes need calcium to grow and they get that calcium by absorbing water from the ground. A lack of water therefore leads to a lack of calcium and a corresponding lack of tasty tomatoes.

Donâ€™t Pick Too SoonÂ

Finally, a common trait among tomato growing beginners is a distinct lack of patience. If you want to enjoy beautiful home grown tomatoes you canâ€™t pick them too early. Tomatoes are generally ready to enjoy between sixty and eighty five days after planting. Ripeness is indicated by both an even, all round colour and a slight tenderness. If your tomatoes are hard to the touch, you need to keep waiting.

Jamie Kirk is a writer, and occasionally writes on cheap conservatory across UK. He recommends comparing stunning conservatory prices by clicking on the mentioned link.