11 Exquisite Garden Maintenance Ideas for This Season

Whether it’s in order to always have fresh produce and flowers in our home or to sell them to earn some extra money, a lot of us would like to have our own veggie or flower garden. However, if you are a total beginner, you might not know where to start or how to properly take care of it once you set it up.

So, regardless if you’ve already planted your garden or are only thinking about doing it, you will also need some maintenance tips for it to thrive. Keep on reading to learn more.

1. Make a plan before you start planting

It’s never a good idea to go to a local store or online and purchase some random seeds or plants without having a plan. The best approach here that will help you with maintenance as well is doing some research on the varieties that suit the conditions of your area – you might live in a drought-prone region or somewhere where there is a lot of rain.

See which ones are the easiest to grow and whether you have the time and means to take care of them properly before actually buying them. Finally, make a list of fruits and veggies that your family enjoys eating or would like to try.

2. Carefully choose plants to ensure they are healthy

It can be difficult for an amateur gardener to properly examine the plants they plan on buying but it is vital to buy healthy plants for the garden to be successful. You can look for some instructions online or read a few books that talk about these plants in more detail. Be sure to know what a healthy specimen looks like as introducing a diseased plant into your garden can infect other plants and slowly affect them all.

You should check the tops for discolouration, fungi and aphids as well as take a good look at the roots. If they are firm and white, you’re good to go; dark and mushy roots should be avoided at all costs. If the root is rotten, the plant has no chances of surviving. On the other hand, if you are purchasing seeds, get them from a reputable company.

3. Learn how to best plant them

Seeing as how prevention is the best medicine, there is another thing you must do when planting to make your maintenance process easier later on – properly planning out space. First of all, you should not plant them in rows as this traditional method of planting is not necessary for most plants. Instead of single-file lines, you can plant in triangles as that will save you space and benefit the plants.

Then, you should also consider adding raised beds to your garden because they will make the space more manageable and approachable. This also means that it will be much easier for you to amend the soil if there is a need. If the raised bed is accessible from all sides, put the tallest plants in the middle and the shortest along the edge. That way, you will have a better overview of the situation.

When it comes to picking the best species and the best planting method, you should see which varieties like to be planted together and make the most of that. However, there are also plants that should not be put together under any circumstances, so keep that in mind as well.

4. Be on the lookout for bugs

First things first, you need to know that not all insects are bad for your garden. However, you also need to familiarize yourself with those that are harmful. In case bugs have damaged any of the plants, viruses and bacteria can enter it and inflict even more damage.

This is why you have to keep an eye on the bugs in your garden and take necessary measure to get rid of them. There are many ways how you can deal with them on your own but you can also turn to a professional pest control company to take care of this issue for you.

5. Trim and prune at the right time

To keep your garden healthy and looking its best, you also need to know when and how to prune it. Pruning is best done in late winter or early spring before any new growth has started as that allows you to get rid of any potentially diseased limbs.

Ensure you have quality garden tools that are sharp and can make a clean cut as that will allow the plant to heal rapidly. Check for dead leaves and stems and remove them as well, and dispose of all completely dead plants.

6. Understand how much water it needs

Not all plants require the same amount of water to succeed so you will need to understand the needs of every particular plant you have. Plus, just like your fruits, veggies and flowers need water, so do various pathogens in the soil and air.

If there is a lot of moisture on the foliage, that can lead to diseases developing on the plants, which is why you need to choose watering methods that will limit the amount of water that ends up on the leaves. Choose drip irrigation and soaker hoses to properly water your plants and if you plan on watering by hand, make sure the leaves are not in the way when watering the roots.

Sprinklers are not the best of options but if that is your only alternative, then water the plants early in the morning as the moisture will evaporate from the leaves and still be absorbed by the roots. Lastly, remember not to overwater your plants as that can result in root-rotting fungi.

7. Deal with weeds early on

Weeds are also very detrimental for the success of your garden as they often steal sunlight and nutrients from the plants you need to thrive. To prevent this scenario, you want to deal with weeds early on. Aggressive weeds only get worse during summer as their roots will strengthen which makes them very hard to pull out.

You might want to apply an organic pre-emergent herbicide that will stop them from popping up altogether. If they do manage to find their way to your garden, you can spray them with a post-emergent herbicide. Consult with an expert in your local nursery about how and when you should use these. In addition to these weed killers, you might have to pull out some of these by hand if they are really persistent.

8. Aerate your soil if it is compacted

After winter, it is quite possible that the soil in your garden is completely compacted. There should be no thick layers of leaves on the ground, so get rid of those but you can leave a thin layer which will add organic matter to the soil when it breaks down. Then, you need to loosen up the soil.

You can get a garden fork and aerate the soil by making little holes in the ground which will allow the soil to be looser. Aeration will help the soil absorb water and air, which leads to increased root development.

9. Apply the right fertilizer

In addition to air and water, aeration also helps with fertilizing. If the soil needs amending, you need to add the right kind of fertilizer to it right after it’s been aerated. Keep in mind that too much fertilizer can burn the root and reduce its ability to absorb water. That also means that the plant is more susceptible to droughts, cold and heat.

Before you do anything, however, test your soil to see which nutrients it is lacking. Plus, some people prefer fertilizing in autumn but there are also individuals who do it in the spring, so check with experts to see which approach is best for your area and plants.

10. Ensure your compost is fully decomposed

If you plan on making compost, it is vital that you know when it is fully decomposed. Seeing as how not all the materials you put in there will decompose at the same rate, you need to wait until everything is finished to apply it to the garden.

If there is any infected plant debris that has not properly decomposed, you might bring a certain disease into your garden. It might be better to avoid using yard waste until you have mastered the composting process. Once it’s dark brown, crumbly and smells like earth, it is ready to be used.

11. Keep the garden tidy

Finally, you need to do some tidying up in the autumn in order to prepare your garden for winter. So, seeing as how certain diseases can survive the winter, regularly remove all dead leaves to prevent them from infecting the fresh ones that will start coming out during spring. What is more, keeping the garden neat all year round means that it will never become a breeding ground for germs and insects which can affect your plants. So, set some time aside to clean it frequently.

Conclusion

Taking care of a garden is not an easy task as it requires a lot from you. However, if this is something you are really passionate about, you should have no problem dedicating yourself to this hobby and/or potential income source. Keep these eleven tips in mind and your garden should thrive.