A young homeowner went to a small local garden centre to get some supplies. As he left, he said, “Goodbye.” The owner didn’t respond. “Why didn’t you respond?” the man asked.
“You’ll be back,” said the owner.
And he was — not once, but twice.
The third time, he went to another store.
Be lazy and be a productive gardener. How? By being organized.
Plan Your Garden
Draw a plan for your garden. Identify sunny and shady areas, play areas, outdoor eating or entertaining spaces, and even a special area for your dog. Then plan what to plant, where, and when. Keep the plan and refer to it when preparing for the next season.
Manage Your Tools
In early spring, inspect your tools, rain barrels, pails, and containers. Repair or replace as needed. Designate a storage place and return tools to it after use — it saves time and frustration later.
Clean out your garden shed and throw away items you haven’t used in a while.
Prep Your Seeds
Check your seed inventory, make a shopping list, and stick to it. On each packet, mark the year of purchase.
Prepare Watering Cans
Use large cans (e.g., tomato cans) with their bottoms removed. Insert them into the garden soil, spaced where you’ll transplant larger plants such as squash, tomatoes, brassicas, or turnips.
Start Composting
You’ll need two compost bins. Clean out dead plants that overwintered and place them in the first bin. Let them break down until the beginning of the following July, then turn the contents into the second bin. In September, spread one to two inches of the compost over your vegetable garden and mix it into the top six inches of soil. You can also get compost from your local recycling yard.
A Planting Schedule
First, prepare your soil by digging, broad-forking, or simply incorporating compost into the top six inches.
Different vegetables germinate at different minimum soil temperatures. Use a soil thermometer and refer to local weather predictions to schedule planting. Here are some general guidelines:
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2 C – Lettuce, onion, parsnip, spinach
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4.5 C – Carrot, brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, turnip), chard
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10 C – Corn, peas, tomato
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16 C – Beans, cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, squash, zucchini
To extend your harvest, plant lettuce, parsnip, and spinach in four-foot rows every four weeks.
Container Gardening
Containers have many advantages: they can be started early, moved to suit sunlight, easily watered and weeded, and placed in tight or unconventional spaces like balconies, driveways, and patios.
Choose the right container size
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Tomatoes and peppers need at least a 5-gallon pot.
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Herbs can use smaller pots.
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You can grow one cabbage per 5-gallon pot, along with a few carrots or beets.
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Lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and kale are perfect for smaller containers.
Ideal soil mix for containers
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10 per cent garden soil
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30 per cent compost
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20 per cent vermiculite
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35 per cent potting soil
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5 per cent peat moss
If your garden soil is heavy clay, consider adding sand. Once your plants are tall enough, top the soil with a 2-inch layer of mulch.
Water at the roots
There are two effective methods:
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Use an open reservoir connected by a surface tube.
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Insert a tall tin can (with the bottom removed) into the soil. Fill it with water — and fertilizer, if needed — so moisture reaches the roots directly.
Use a moisture meter to determine when to water; typically, every two days in average weather.
Charles has written a book based on his experiences — Urban Gardening: Planning to Preserving, available on Amazon.
