5 Tips to Grow a Successful Garden

5 Tips to Grow a Successful Garden

Let’s start by pointing out that if you haven’t planted your peas yet, you might not get a bountiful harvest of them later in the year - at least in most places of the country. But don’t fret. Here are five important tips to growing a successful garden.

1. Plan what you plant
Start by thinking about what types of fruits and vegetables you and your family like to eat. There’s no sense in planting eggplant if no one in your family will eat it, right?
Start by drawing out an overhead view of your garden area. Then pencil in what you want to plant and where you want to plant it. This will help you better organize your garden and purchase the seeds or seedling the first time you go to the store.

2. Fertilize your garden
Is your garden raised, or do you plant directly in the ground soil? If you’ve got a raised garden, be sure to mix up the soil and add more compost before you level it off, mark it out, and plant your seedlings. The garden will need a refresher from any nutrients it lost in last years planting.
If you have a more traditional garden, place compost on top of the soil, then till it into the dirt. Tilling not only helps stir in the compost, but it also loosens up the soil to allow the roots a place to go when it grows.

3. Keep your garden watered
Plants need water to grow, so make sure you have some sort of watering system in place so you can keep the soil moist. Your system can either be a simple sprinkler system, or your 9-year- old with a watering can.
If you’ve used the grow boxes, it might be better to water for shorter periods, but more often - the water seems to evaporate or drain more quickly.

4. Keep it weed free
Unwanted plants, aka weeds, can compete with your plants for light and water. So be sure to pluck them early and often so your plants get what they need, without competing. This
is when a raised garden works best, because the soil is
so loose, the weeds just come right out.

5. Thin as things grow
Carrots are the biggest culprit. The packet tells you to sprinkle the seeds into the row, and thin as they grow. Remember to thin, because if you don’t, you end up with teeny-tiny carrots that aren’t as useable.
If you see that some of your plants are struggling, pluck them to allow room for the ones that are doing well. It doesn’t hurt to overplant a little at the start to increase your chances of good seeds, but don’t hesitate to thin things out as they grow. 

Take from: Every Needful Thing  http://www.sunoven.com/everyneedfulthing