This summer our weather is wet and the nights are too cool. Summers like this wreck havoc on crops. Plants can get wet feet (too much water near the roots), which stunts the plants growth and production or even kills them. I am seeing a few signs of too much water, one which is pale colored leaves, so its time to start taking preventative measures

Here are a few tips for helping with this problem.

Corrections you can do now

• Put poles in the ground about 1 1/2 deep and buy plastic pipe that you can bend over the rows. I cut the pipe in 3 to 4 foot sections depending on the size of the rows. When you know it’s going to rain cover the rows with clear plastic. (I clamp the plastic in place) I have my gardens set up to be able to do this. It sounds like a lot of work but if it saves your gardens and crops its worth the time.
• If you have a heavy rain forecast and your soil is already saturated put in small hand held trenches to help direct the water or lay down board or rocks to redirect the water. 
• If you have a few more crops to put in consider planting them in containers so that they can be moved in from the rain

Corrections for next years garden

• Add mulch to your soil. The more the soil is aerated the better it will drain
• Use raised beds. Raised beds drain and dry out faster and are easier to add pipe and plastic too
• Prepare your beds so that they can be covered easily. This will also extend your growing season. I have found it deters small pests too.
• Add mulch. You have the benefits of good drainage and more nutrients for the plants.

Signs of too much water for your plants

1. Yellowing leaves
2. Wilting leaves
3. Stunted growth
4. Poor crop production
5. And in worse cases the plants are dying

We started out almost in drought conditions this spring and now we have too much rain and the forecast looks bleak.  More rain is predicted for almost every day. This last weekend we had flash flooding from the roadsides. In summers like this I have learned to be prepared.

Tags: covering crops from too much rain, tips for wet garden seasons, containers gardening, raised bed gardening

Fencing can add peace of mind to the gardener if he lives in an area where small animals thrive and enjoy those moonlight meals of lettuce, cabbage and carrots. I have fenced my gardens but there are times fencing is not an option.

Here are a few tips that will help keep animals out of the garden. If your wildlife problem is not too bad these suggestions should keep your crops safe.

• Onions help keep rabbits out of the garden
• Marigolds and geraniums keep animals out of the garden. They also keep certain insects at bay
• Moving strips of cloth tied to stakes scare many animals
• Pie tins reflect light and scare away small animals and some birds (all birds are not bad though)
• Wind chimes will help make noise and keep animals away.
• Leave a radio on near the garden
• A scarecrow will work for certain animals, usually deer. I will move a scarecrow once a week.
• Clothes left near the edge of a garden will make animals think a human is nearby
• Human hair will keep deer away.
• Walk you dog around the perimeter of the garden just before dusk.
• Dried blood, which can be bought at garden centers, will keep animals away
• Garlic spray will keep rabbits from chewing on lettuce
• Chicken coop wire used around crops like lettuce will protect them from rabbits
• Raised beds and container gardening discourage many wild animals

These are just a few ideas and often times will work if you don’t have a serious animal problem. There are also sprays away that are available for animal control but I am not into using these sprays. I am not sure what chemical they have and I don’t use chemical sin my gardens.

Tags: animal control, keeping small animals out of the garden, organic control of wild animals, protecting your crops

One of the best ways to improve your soil quality is to build raised beds. A raised bed can be anywhere from three inches high to 3-4 feet high. You can make edges for the beds to hold the soil in place or slant the soil and tamp in place. I myself prefer edging.

The shallower beds make fast new gardens and are placed in areas where the soil is ok but just needs new nutrients for better crops.

The three to four foot gardens are placed in areas where you need a lot of new nutrients or where the soil is extremely poor. Another great use for the higher beds is in hillsides where they act as a wall or for people with bad backs or disabilities.

One of my favorite uses for three-foot high raised bed is for planting watermelons and other melons. These plants need extra fertilizer and the deeper beds I fill half full on manure and top with compost. I have great crops of melons with little work. I also sink a plastic milk jug upside down in the center with the bottom cut off for deep watering. Just fill the milk jug when the bed is dry and the planter waters itself. Using this method the water goes deeply into the soil and the soil will not dry out as fast.

Creating a new bed will also improve the spoil. Just mark out the area you intend to use and till or dig up that area. You can either add bags of compost or organic materials to the area and till or dig it up again to mix in the newly added nutrients. Once your new soil is mixed well you will be ready to plant.

Another fast and very easy way to improve the soil is to use the lasagna garden technique. Here is an article on Lasagna Gardening: http://thegardenersrake.com/lasagna-gardening-history-and-how-to-make-a-lasagna-garden

Good soil is one of the most important steps in successful gardening.

Tags: how to improve soil, raised beds, adding nutrients, lasagna gardening