4 Proactive Ways to Keep an Eye on Your Garden

Gardens need attention to grow. Plants need to be watered, weeds need to be pulled, and small issues must continually be attended to. A well-tended garden is full of bright colors and energetic plants; but to get to this point, you need to put in a little extra effort.

Luckily, taking good care of your garden is surprisingly easy. If you put in a little time every day, your plants will respond by growing larger, greener, and happier than you expected.

Start a morning watering routine.

Watering is best done early in the morning, before the heat of the day fully sets in. This ensures that the moisture soaks into the soil instead of evaporating into the air. Early morning watering also gives the leaves of your plants more time to dry off, which helps keep plant diseases from setting in. Make sure you water down by the roots of your plants for the best results.

Although your plants might not need to be watered every day, a daily watering routine will help you keep an eye on your garden. Check on each of your plants in the morning and see how they are doing. Check moisture levels down to a depth of at least 6 to 12 inches, and add additional water as necessary. This is also a good time to pull weeds, prune extra branches, and notice the subtle changes in your garden.

Check your pH levels.

The acidity of your garden's soil can actually have a huge impact on the health of your plants. Most plants like a pH between 6 and 7, which means the soil is neither too acidic nor too basic. If your pH strays from this zone, you can correct it by adding the right nutrients to your soil.

You can check your garden's pH with an at-home test or by purchasing a formal test kit. Basic soil can be corrected with sulfur, while acidic soil can be corrected with lime. If your soil is neutral, your plants will be able to absorb more nutrients and produce better fruits and flowers.

Watch out for local wildlife.

If your strawberry plants are producing way less than you expected, your garden may be getting raided by the local wildlife. Birds, squirrels, and even raccoons will often be tempted by the fruits of your hard work. Different animals are deterred by different methods; you need to know what kind of animal you're dealing with before you can take action.

Start by setting up an outdoor camera and pointing at your garden. After you've recorded a day or two of footage, review it to see who the culprit is. Squirrels can be distracted with an alternate food source, while birds can be held at bay with overhead netting. Nearly any kind of critter will be deterred by shiny streamers, pinwheels, and other objects that add motion to your garden.

Perform off-season maintenance.

You might not get another harvest after the first frost, but your garden still needs attention throughout the winter months. Winter is a great time to prune dead branches or add nutrients to your soil. It's also a good time to dig up old roots, build new plant beds, and add fencing without worrying that you'll trample a seedling.

Keep your ideal spring garden in mind as you perform winter maintenance. Any tasks that could damage plants should be completed before the first seedlings are put in the ground. If you prepare your garden in the late months of winter, your early spring planting season will be easier than ever before.

Garden maintenance is an endless but thoroughly enjoyable job. Make gardening a part of your daily routine; you can use this time to relax, unwind, and get in touch with your agricultural side. The more attention you give to your garden, the better your final results will be.