While there is no such thing as a perfect garden, you can maximize yield and beauty by weeding, providing enough water, mulching, and controlling garden pests.
You have transplanted your seedlings and planted the rest of your garden. Now, you impatiently wait for the seeds to germinate. Radish, cabbage, and turnips germinate quickly. Carrots, parsley, and spinach may take up to two weeks to germinate. Germination also depends on soil moisture and soil temperature. Keep the surface soil moist until germination occurs.
Weeds, as they grow rob your plants of food and water, resulting in stunted tops and small root crops. To achieve an optimum growth, you must pull weeds and thin vegetables.
Be prepared to weed early and often. Remove weeds continually, especially before they flower and produce seeds for the next cycle. If you have raised beds, the best time to weed is just after a rain. They pull out easily, root and all. Add them to your compost pile. However, do not place invasive plants such as creeping bellflower in your compost.
Thinning is essential. Proper thinning will far more than double your yield. To give an example of the benefit of thinning: In a 12-inch row of carrots, you could have 12 carrots, each spaced 1 inch apart, each about 3/4 inch in diameter. Or in the same 12 inches, you could have 4 carrots spaced 3 inches apart, each 2 inches in diameter. The row of carrots spaced 3 inches apart will produce up to 10 times the volume as those spaced 1 inch apart.
Thin as follows: beets-4”, cabbage-18”, carrots-3”, corn-12”, lettuce-6 to 12” depending on the variety, turnips and rutabaga- 12”. Other vegetables such as beans, onions, potatoes, squash or tomatoes are planted at the required spacing and require no thinning. Cabbage and turnips can be planted as seedlings at the required spacing.
Once the new plants have germinated and grown about 2 inches, it is time to put a 2-inch layer of mulch around them. This supresses weed growth and reduces surface evaporation. Over the rest of the summer the mulch disappears into the soil.
Plants need water. Some experts say that your garden needs an inch of water a week. However, with compost rich soil, 2 inches of mulch, and a closer spacing of plants that create shade and reduce surface evaporation, you will need less water. Add to these factors a process of getting water to the roots, and you will reduce the water demands of your plants by at least 50%, and probably more. And, healthy plants in loose, compost-rich soil need less water because they use less water in bringing up the nutrients they need. To get water to the roots, bury a large tin can with the bottom removed by each large vegetable, such as cabbage, tomato, or rutabaga. To water, simply fill the can with water and the water gets to the roots.
To determine if your plants are getting enough water, dig down 6 inches; if the soil is damp, your plants are getting enough water. Check your plants every hot day; if the leaves start to wilt, provide more water.
97%-99% of the insects are either harmless or beneficial. Beneficial insects pollinate flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees. Others help to keep pests under control. Many insects are food for birds.
Pest are less likely to damage healthy plants. Pests go to where they were born; crop rotation reduces the chances they will find their hosts.
Use row covers to prevent root maggot flies or cabbage butterflies from laying their eggs. Use Bt on worms.
Inspect your garden frequently to identify and quickly remove an infestation before it becomes serious. Use non-invasive methods, such as hand-picking Colorado potato beetles and slugs, before using organic poisons. If a pest gets out of hand, use an organic pesticide on the specific area the pest inhabits. Some organic pesticides include Bt for worms, insecticidal soap for aphids, and Slug Be Gon for slugs. Neem Oil, Pyrethrin, and Spinosad are other organic pesticides that combat a variety of garden pests.
Most bacterial and viral diseases, such as mould, leaf spots, etc. are best controlled by removing the affected parts of the plant. Cut out infested parts and dispose in your landfill garbage. A plant can lose 40% of its foliage and still be productive.
Enjoy the sunshine and fresh air as you tenderly tend to your garden.
