Guest Post by Carrie Spencer
Have you ever had the experience of starting a garden, having everything beautifully planned out, and anticipating a fabulous harvest – but then, getting almost no produce out of it?
If you have, you know how frustrating this can be.
Of course, gardening is satisfying in other ways too, since it can be fun, and good exercise, and a chance to be out in nature.
But when your vegetable garden doesn’t yield as you’d hoped, this takes some of the pleasure out of it – especially if you were counting on a productive garden to help save on food costs.
Here are some tips and resources to help you make the most of your horticultural efforts.
Year-Round Gardening Tips for a Great Harvest
Image via Pixabay
Preparing Your Garden Plots
A healthy and productive garden begins with proper planning and soil preparation.
Choose a plot in an area that is easy to water, that gets plenty of sun, and that drains well, ideally with good loamy soil – avoid hard-packed and depleted areas or areas that are predominantly clay.
Do a soil test to check for pH levels and nutrients to find out if you need to add any minerals or soil amendments.
Prepare your gardens by tilling to work in nutrients and remove weeds or by heavily layering with organic mulches to kill weeds and maintain an even moisture level – you can plant most things right into or through the mulch.
Choosing the Right Plants and Seeds
Your garden will do better if you choose the right plants for your soil, growing season, and climate.
Find out what your growing zone is and select fruits and vegetables that are known to do well in your zone of New York.
Source your seeds and seedlings from reputable companies, so you can be sure you get good quality seeds with a good germination rate and no risk of carrying disease.
Tending Your Garden from Sowing to Harvest
You won’t get a great harvest if you plant your garden and leave it to its own devices: planting a garden is only one step of a process that is ongoing through much of the year.
For optimal productivity, many types of fruits or vegetables need to be staked, pruned, or trellised in particular ways.
You will need to keep an eye out for garden pests and have a plan for dealing with them in a safe and ecologically responsible manner.
Keep your garden weed-free with regular cultivation and strategic mulching.
Don’t neglect your garden during fall and winter: you can spend your autumn months cleaning up after your harvest and use your winter downtime to plan for the next growing season.
Keeping Your Lawn and Garden Beautiful
You will enjoy your garden more if it is productive and healthy and aesthetically pleasing.
You can improve the health and appearance of your lawn through aeration, so look for an affordable aerator near me that has good reviews.
Be mindful of what kind of improvements to your lawn and garden can increase rather than detract from your property value.
Master These Tips, and You Will Have a Productive Garden
Mastering the techniques that create a productive garden may take a little time, but once they become habitual, they will feel like second nature. And it will be a great feeling when your hard work pays off, and you find yourself with the bumper crop you’ve been hoping for.
Go to My View From The Woods for more useful gardening guidelines for readers in the New York area.
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Carrie Spencer created The Spencers Adventures to share her family’s homesteading adventures. She shares tips on living self-sufficiently, fruit and vegetable gardening, parenting, conservation, and more on the site. Their goal is to live as self-sufficiently and environmentally consciously as possible.
