Keeping a garden clean and healthy requires proper maintenance. A well-kept yard is flourishing with beautiful flowers, and producing edible fruits and vegetables. Garden maintenance is a lot of work for some, but it’s surely a rewarding activity once you get used to it. Take a look at the 5 tips below to ensure your yard is always at its best shape.
1. Feed the soil
Healthy soil breeds healthy plants. Good soil is dark in colour and crumbly. In keeping your soil healthy, you must ensure that it is properly drained, has undergone testing, and is fertilized. Well-drained soil is optimal for growing roots. If your soil it too wet, it will pack together and make it hard for the roots to grow because of lack of space. Adding compost to your soil improves its nitrogen level and helps plants grow faster. It also adds minerals and nutrients to your soil, making it the perfect bed for your plants. It’s important to make sure your soil is ready before you start digging.
2. Water as needed
Be careful with watering your plants as well as your soil. As mentioned above, you don’t want your soil to be soaking wet. But you also don’t want your plants to dry out. Wetting the leaves doesn’t do much. Rather, you can water slowly and soak the ground just enough for the soil to be evenly moist. As much as possible, water your plants in the morning because wet plants at night are more likely to catch a disease.
3. Watch out for pests
Some insects are beneficial to your garden. But if it they’re causing damage then they definitely need to be controlled. Aphids, caterpillars, and cabbage maggots are just some of the most common garden insects that need to be eliminated. Pick out large bugs and drown them in soapy water. Smaller pests can be removed by washing your plants with a strong spray of water. You can also protect your plants by putting up floating row covers specially for vegetables.
4. Remove weeds and grass
Keep your garden clean by removing weeds and grass regularly. They compete for space and nutrients and could take away sustenance from your plants. Control weeds from growing by applying mulch to your soil. Don’t let them get any sunlight and smother them out completely. You can also apply certain herbicides that prevents weed and grass seeds from sprouting in your garden.
5. Harvest ripe fruits and vegetables
Naturally, you want to harvest your plants when they’re ready. Don’t let them rot and die in your garden. Remove any dead plants and throw them in the compost pile. Cut off dry leaves and flowers, and maybe change your fruits and vegetables according to season. Clean out any debris from your garden to prevent pests from getting shelter.
Keep your garden healthy and productive by heeding the tips above. Gardening is an exhausting job. But seeing your yard fruitful and beautiful makes all the effort worthwhile.
