Well it’s official, summer is here. This means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Some people love to go camping, some love to swim in pools or the ocean, and others just like to relax with a cold beverage. However, if you are like 77% of the American population, you have a garden. Summertime is when plants, flowers and even food grow in the garden of millions of Americans.
While common, growing a good garden is often anything but easy. A garden is a true labor of love, and if you don’t care for it well enough, your plants are unlikely to grow successfully. It takes a lot of work from planting, watering and even harvesting. With that in mind, this article is going to look at 5 tips and secrets to jump start your summer garden.
Plan Early
If you really want to get a jump start on your summer garden, you need to plan early. This not only includes choosing the right things to grow, but also how to grow them. The layout of your garden is incredibly important, as some plants need a certain amount of space to grow. Also, some may require more sun than others which could influence plant positioning within your garden.
The more planning that goes into the layout and plant selection of your garden, the better chance that the garden will be fruitful. While you don’t need to plan it out months in advance, you should have an idea or blueprint before you just start planting willy nilly.
Know When to Water
As you probably know, plants need water. What you may not know is that different plants may need to be watered different amounts and at different frequencies. It is up to you to discover how much (and often) your plants need to be watered. This information can easily be found online with a couple of searches.
In addition to knowing how much to water, you also need to know when the best time to water is. Normally, it is best to water your plants either early in the morning or later at night. The reason for this is because if you water during the middle of the day (when it’s the hottest), a lot of evaporation can occur.
Don’t Forget to Fertilize
While many gardens can grow without fertilizer, fertilizer can give you a leg up. It can help plants grow in a number of different ways. The ingredients in these fertilizers often includes things like Potassium, Phosphorus, Nitrogen and others. These all have many benefits for the growth and health of plants. For example, they may help the plant develop stronger roots or stems.
However, which type of fertilizer do you choose for your garden? There are a number of different kinds of fertilizers that gardeners can use to help their plants grow quicker or better. Some are better for certain plants than others, so the kind you choose depends on what you’re growing. In addition to buying fertilizer from the store, there is also the ability to create it yourself.
Be Knowledgeable About Frost
While we mentioned starting and planning early is great, but you want to be careful when you actually start planting. This is because of frost dates. Frost has the tendency to damage or even kills plants right in their tracks, so you need to be careful. If you know the dates that frost ends in the spring, and starts back up in the fall, you give your garden a good chance to succeed.
The frost dates you will deal with will depend on where you live and what you are growing. Some things can be planted directly into the garden early, while some should be planted in a pot first before eventually being fully planted in the garden. If you are curious about the frost dates in your area, the USDA and other organizations can help.
Grow Plants You’re Interested in
Lastly, a garden is all about having fun and nurturing, so be sure to grow things you enjoy. If you like the plants or food you are growing, you are more likely to stick it out and remain committed to the garden. No one wants to put months of work into growing something they don’t really even like or want.
For example, if you absolutely love lavender, consider picking some up from a trusted retailer like MySeedNeeds (https://www.myseedneeds.com/collections/lavender) and growing it. Many different types of plants and seeds can be found both online and in-store today. Of course, don’t be scared to try out new things, but the more you like the things you plant, the more you will be willing to put in the effort to grow them.
In conclusion, hopefully this article has been able to help you learn some secrets and tips to get a jump on your summer garden.
