10 Tips on How to Make Your Garden Grow

A garden is a joy, but the price of the joy is a bit of work. Here are ten tips to keep your garden green and growing.

‘ Make a compost pile. A compost bin can be bought or constructed from wood or chicken wire.

‘ Check the pH of the soil. The pH tells the gardener whether the soil is too acidic or too basic. Amendments like lime can be added to make the soil just right.

‘ Prune your trees and bushes in the winter, when they- re dormant. This will contribute to their health, and in the case of ornamentals and fruit trees, will bring more blooms and fruit.

‘ Let the vegetable garden rest once in a while. This allows the soil to recoup the nutrients used in growing vegetables. Cover the plot with landscape paper for the season.

‘ Mulch around trees and plants. Mulch saves water and suppresses weeds.

‘ Water in the morning. This will keep the water from evaporating. The evening is the second best time to water, but there-s an increased risk of plant diseases.

‘ Water plants deeply. It-s best to give them a less frequent but deep watering than more frequent, shallow watering. Deep watering encourages the roots of the plant to go deep, which is healthier for them.

‘ Pull weeds as soon as possible. Some mature weeds have extensive root systems that take a lot of work to dig out.

‘ Invite friendly bugs into the garden. These will cut down on or eliminate the need for insecticides. Friendly bugs include lady bugs and praying mantis.

‘ Plant marigolds. Marigolds planted around the edge of a vegetable garden also cut down on the need for insecticides.

‘ Plant companion plants. Some vegetables, grow better with other plants nearby. Plant onions, for example, around tomatoes and broccoli and other cruciferous plants.