Yesterday we talked about design and location of your vegetable garden. Today, let’s talk about how to care for your plants. Now that you’ve decided to plant a garden, think about creating optimal soil with compost.
It’s fairly simple to begin a compost pile with food scraps from your kitchen and all those foods scraps, coffee grounds, and crushed egg shells are full of nutrients that encourage healthy growth in the garden. You’ll want a watering plan for the hot, dry days of summer. Rather than using a soaker hose, which can spray most of the water into the air, think about creating a drip irrigation system to deliver moisture directly to the soil. Get the most out of the garden space you have by planting cooler weather crops like greens, peas, carrots, and potatoes early, and then plant heat loving crops later. And keep insect populations in check by placing a birdbath and a few blueberry bushes at the perimeter of your garden to attract birds.