7 smart steps to take care of your vegetable garden

Garden smarter, not more. These essential steps for maintaining your vegetable garden ensure that your plants get plenty of love and that there is time for some relaxation in your beautiful vegetable garden.

You’ve chosen your favorite plants and planted them in the open ground, a raised bed or a container. I think it’s time to relax and watch the plants magically grow. OR, I think. Your garden needs care, as do children who still need parental supervision. During the growing season, regular vegetable garden maintenance helps maintain a lush, thriving vegetable garden that produces the crop you probably hoped for when you started. We’ve summarized the process in 7 simple tips to help you garden more effectively and efficiently.

1. Know how much water

Your vegetables need continuous water whether you have an in ground, raised bed or container garden. Because both too much and too little water can be harmful to your plants, it is wise to know the amount each plant needs. The average garden needs about an inch of water per week. Yet tub plants need a little more. These vegetables are often thirstier than those grown in the ground or in raised beds because they are tucked away in well-drained pots in a limited amount of soil. You may need to water container gardens (pots) every day in the intense heat of summer or in windy situations.

Always check the soil first; if it is dry in the first inch, your plants definitely need water. Direct your hose near the base of the plants to provide moisture to the roots and water as early in the day as possible to avoid evaporation. It will help reduce the risk of disease if you can avoid sprinkling water and soil on the leaves.

The type of plant you grow will determine how much water you need. While plants such as cucumbers and melons need a lot of water to produce their delicious fruit, some herbs, such as thyme, prefer well-drained, fairly dry soil. 

2. Give your plants adequate nutrition

What good is a cool drink without appetizers? About a month after planting, while your young plants are growing and growing, start giving them daily nutritional supplements. Always follow the label directions and be sure not to give them more! Feed your plants for up to three months with quality plant food, both below and above the soil line, giving them the nutrients they need to thrive healthily. In addition to developing a strong root system that improves water absorption, well-fed plants are also better able to repel pests and diseases. Your particularly thirsty tub plants will love it because, in addition to retaining more moisture, regular watering tends to flush important nutrients from the pots.

3. Use shredded wood

To prevent weed seeds from developing, add a layer of chippings around the base of your vegetables that is 1 to 2 inches thick. This limits the sunlight that weed seeds need to germinate. Shredded wood is also great for the following additional things:

• it helps the soil retain moisture;
• prevents soil from splashing onto plants when they are watered (which lowers risk of soil-borne diseases;
• regulates soil temperature

The roots of the plants are shielded from extreme highs and lows que temperature by a layer of chippings, keeping them a little warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Be careful not to pile it against the stems of the plants, as this can impede vital airflow. Coppice wood meets practical needs but also improves the aesthetics of the garden by giving beds and containers a polished, expert look. So choose your favorite shredding wood- bark, double-milled hardwood, pine straw or even shredded leaves-and let shredded wood reduce some of your vegetable garden maintenance responsibilities.

4. Remove weeds without mercy

A tasty snack and a hydrating drink are your plants’ favorites. But guess what? Also from weeds. Your vegetables are crowded out by these unpleasant, unwanted garden pests, which also steal their water, nutrients and even sunshine. Despite being one of the most unpleasant garden chores, weeding is essential. It also serves as therapy. Are things going badly today? You will feel much better when you start removing those awful weeds (don’t forget the root, or it will come back!). In addition, by removing weeds as soon as you see them, you reduce their potential to reproduce. Plan to take a daily walk through the garden to spot young weeds, which is much easier.

5. Get rid of bugs or diseases

Occasionally, despite your best efforts, a yellow leaf or a wilting plant appears in your vegetable garden. Quick! The sooner you identify problems with your plants, the sooner you can act to save them. It’s time to investigate what’s bothering your plants.

Look for evidence of garden pests on each stem, leaf and blossom. Also check the underside of leaves where numerous insects like to lay their eggs. If you see small bugs crawling around, like those all-too-common aphids, try to remove them with a powerful water spray. Pick larger pests by hand and place them in a bucket of foaming water if they are insects such as tomato hornworms or Japanese beetles. If there is a severe infestation, spray insecticidal soap all over the plant, making sure to cover both surfaces of the leaves.

If your vegetable plants develop strange spots or discolored leaves without the presence of pests, you may be dealing with a disease. To prevent it from spreading to other plants, remove all affected leaves, even those on the ground. To avoid more problems, discard them instead of composting them.

6. Guide your plants

Some of your plants may like to grow a little boisterously, towering over their neighbors or weaving across the beds. With the right help, you can keep these overly enthusiastic growers in check. For example, tomato vines have a potential height of 1meter. When planting, add cages or stakes to prevent them from spreading to the soil where they can catch disease. Later, as they grow, teach them to climb into the cages or poles.

Just as pole beans spread through beds, cucumbers and beans take up a lot of space in the garden. By allowing air circulation and lifting them above soil-borne diseases, growing these vegetables vertically not only saves the garden, but also helps them for their health. The convenience of standing to harvest these grains is also beneficial to your back.

7. Enjoy

Take a daily walk through your garden. There is nothing like watching your little plants grow into robust, mature plants, and frequent visits ensure that you are present to identify any pests or problems. Keep an eye on them as they develop and they will soon yield fantastic harvests for your favorite “from garden to table” dishes.

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