It's frustrating to spend time, money, and effort on planting a garden only to have it fail. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to encourage it to thrive. Here are three tips to incorporate into your gardening practices.
Check Your Plants
If your plants' growth seems to be stunted, the leaves are discolored or failed to appear, or your vegetable yield is low, you need to check your plants to ensure they are getting what they need. If they are planted too close together, they will not get the light and nutrients they require to thrive. Plant roots will steal nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus from nearby plants, causing a deficiency in your blooming flowers and vegetables. When planning your garden, it's important to pick the right plants that can flourish when planted together, are appropriate for your type of soil, and can survive in your climate.
Fix the Soil
You can find out if your garden is struggling from depleted nutrients by performing a soil test. The results will tell you if you need to add fertilizer or other enhancements to adjust the nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous your plants need to survive. You could just use a cover crop during the off-season to help restore the soil. A cover crop can add nutrients and beneficial organisms to your soil, prevent soil erosion and protect the soil from drought or heavy rains.
Look for Stressors
By sticking your fingers an inch or two into the soil, you can tell if your plant needs more water. Check to see if the leaves are dry, crumbling, or fall off easily. This is also a sign of inadequate water. While you're there, take a look at the top and bottom of the plant's leaves. If you see evidence of pests, such as aphids, mites, or caterpillars, you should either manually remove them or find a way to treat your plants before further damage can occur. Some diseases such as mildew or blight should be treated right away. If the disease is too widespread, you may have to remove the plant and contaminated soil from the garden. If you have weeds in your garden, remove them before they grow too large. Unwanted plants will steal water and light from your garden and cause your plants to stagnate under the stress.
If your garden just isn't working out, it's important to get help early. There are many options available for improving the look and yield of your flower and vegetable gardens.
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