At this time of the year when gardens are growing full force you may wonder why you garden and question when the season will be over. The fun of watching the garden come alive is over and it seems that work is the main function.
Here are a few tips to help with the garden chores and keep the garden fun.
- Always plant one new unusual crop so that you have a plant that offers a surprise and something to look forward to. These strange plants have become the talk of the neighborhood and have lead to great recipes and interesting crafting projects.
- Add flowers to your garden. They can be edible flowers or flowers for cutting. Several flowers have insect controlling benefits such as geraniums and marigolds and serve another useful purpose. The color and fragrance of the flowers adds pleasure to the garden.
- The best time to harvest most vegetable is in the morning when the dew is still on the plant. This is when the sugar concentrations are highest and the vegetables will not wilt from heat.
- Be sure to wash all produce, especially those that have been grown using chemicals. I myself don’t use chemicals in the garden or yard.
- After you harvest a crop rake and remove any remaining plant matter. Add aged compost for the next crop or to prepare the bed for next year. At the end of the year I put on an extra heavy layer of compost, which I will work into the ground the following year. This controls weeds and will add more nutrients to the soil.
- Crop rotation builds the soil and keeps next years crops from becoming infected with soil-borne diseases.
- I live in a milder climate, (zone 5) so I can replant lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, greens, spinach, carrots, potatoes and peas for a late season harvest.
- You can dry, can or freeze your extra vegetables and fruits. I try to do any of these projects in small amounts. It doesn’t seem like work if it only takes a little time and is not a daylong project.
Tags: gardening tips for mid season, ideas for keeping gardening fun, garden tips
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