5 Tips to a Perfect Summer Garden

End up with healthy high yielding fruit and vegetables, and the most amazing flowers you have ever seen, by following these 5 tips to a perfect summer garden…

1.       Tip:  Grow Organic– There are many different ways to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers organically. Start with using organic soil. Then use organic fertilizers such as fresh fruit and vegetable peels; as well as used grounded coffee beans. Dead leaves are good to use as an organic mulch to protect the roots from extreme weather conditions and to keep the weeds out. And, by planting Marigolds, Daisies, and hot peppers amongst your veggie garden, you can reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides.

2.        Tip: Grow Seeds– Grow your entire crop from seeds if possible. That way you have more control over the quality of your plants.  And you can pull the weaker plants and flowers, while transplanting stronger ones in their place.   

3.       Tip: Grow Weed less-  If your strategy is waiting until the weeds become established before taking the initiative to rid your garden of them; then you are doing yourself a great injustice.  There are many approaches you can take to make the de-weeding process much simpler. 

·         Become familiar with baby weeds and pull them as soon as they sprout.

·         Cover your garden with leaves or organic mulch.

·         Use a raised bed.

4.       Tip:  Grow Raised Bed Gardens- Raised bed gardens are a perfect win-win. Plants like raised gardens because the soil is moister and looser and you get better drainage.  Other benefits of a raised bed garden are:

·         Raised beds in blocks rather than rows provide a larger growing area. Therefore, they increase productivity.

·         You get fewer weeds.

·         They cut your work load in half by eliminating the need to tiller.

·         In general, raised bed gardens grow healthier and happier plants.

5.       Tip:  Grow into the Fall- Double your crop production by making space for fall vegetables, and you can continue your growing season well into the fall. In some climates you can extend your growing season into the early winter months. Fall gardening can be easier because you don’t need to water plants as much, there are fewer insects, and not as much weed growth. Check your local nursery for a list of fall vegetables, flowers, and herbs in your area.