The days are getting longer, the seed catalogs are in the mailbox, the plants are greening up. It is time to focus on organizing for the new planting season.
Take a LookBefore you even put a trowel to the ground, take a walk around your yard and see what areas need attention. Make careful notes about tasks and purchases you need to do.
Evaluate YourselfBe honest about your gardening abilities. If your recent planting performance is poor, then you may not have succeeded in growing a diverse array of plants.adequate irrigation systems, soil ph levels, and drainage conditionslackage for growing a large variety of plants.
Iana grow particularly well in shaded areas, but they do much better in an area that receives part sun.
Iaravardsand sunflowers need very different amounts of water, so make sure you consider the plants and their water needs when planning your garden. A drip irrigation or regular sprinklers are inadequate for these plants. If you cannot provide water through regular means, then I suggest you install some type of self watering system.
Prepare the Soila good drainage is the key to gardening success. When preparing the soil, use a shovel to break up any clods or rocks and rake away any debris.
Prepare the Soil DIstaining down to the depth of a shovel and work the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. For clay soils, leave the claw heads exposed and dig down approximately 8 inches. Once the soil reaches a depth of 6 to 8 inches, work the soil using a rake and gently push the soil to the edge of the garden.
Shovel and tamp the soil evenly around the edges of the garden.
Planting requires a good depth of soil. Choose a spot on the edge of the garden where the soil is level and gently pack the soil around the roots using a small dibber or trowel.
Once the soil has been securely packed and the plants are in the hole, fill in the hole with soil.
Mulch the garden with a 2 to 3 inch layer of shredded plants.
FertilizeSmall amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizer mixed in with a little liquid fertilizer will help promote vigorous growth and help repel insects.
HarvestingIf you’ve planted tomatoes at the proper time, they should be ripening on the vine. To check if the tomatoes are ripe, try pulling one from the vine. The stem should easily snap into two. A day or two later, discard the dead fruit and leave the living ones to continue to grow. When they are ripe, pick them off the vine.
Picking the PlantsYou will enjoy endless hours watching your garden grow and abundant harvest once you have a few garden plants under your belt. If they begin to droop, don’t be afraid to pick them off the vine. Simply pull the suckers or leaves off of the tomato plant stem. Be sure to leave the growing points of the stem intact.
One day I decided to leave the tomatoes for another day. While I had a couple clumps of tomatoes growing on the vine, I also set two heirloom tomatoes for friends in the area. When they began to ripen for the second day, I picked the ripening ones and after a week, they set and grew another round of delicious tomatoes for my friends.
Heirloom tomato plants are hardy and unique, which makes them a smart investment for gardeners looking for a fun and exciting garden to plant as well as fresh ingredients for their cooking. There are hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes, so you won’t have a problem finding just the variety or variety that you want. Just find a site you can reliable and trust, buy the plants, get the seeds, and be ready to get the best garden you can right in your backyard.
