It’s that time of year again. The garden is beginning to call. And if you’ve never gardened before, or have a new bed to prepare, spring time is an excellent time to get started.
Whether you’re planting flowerbeds or putting in a vegetable garden, there are five basic areas to consider: soil preparation, planting, watering, mulching and fertilizing.
Soil Preparation
Most soil needs a little help. Since a lot of what plants need comes from the soil, it only makes sense to build soil as rich in nutrients as possible with an eye to its structure as well. Preparing soil is actually fun, and the best part is you get to get your hands dirty.
Soil structure refers to the particle size in any soil, and gradation runs from gravel to coarse to fine sand, sandy loam to loam, silt loam to silt. Soils with larger particles are referred to as light or sandy; those with smaller particles are considered heavy or clay. Loam tends to be the ideal, though not all plants prefer it.
When it comes to soil nutrients, it’s wise to get samples tested to see what minerals and other elements are missing. The main nutrients are:
- Nitrogen maintains plant growth and the green color.
- Phosphorus stimulates root development.
- Potassium helps plants resist disease.
In certain parts of the country, soils are commonly deficient in specific minerals such as boron, magnesium or calcium.
Further Soil Additives
Once a soil is established it’s important to keep it healthy by adding organic matter. This can be in the form of compost, manure, peat moss, or earthworm castings. However you add organic material, your soil will benefit and when earthworms start appearing, you know your garden is happy.
Planting
Before planting, be sure to “score” the roots. This means after taking plants out of their nursery pots, lightly break up the root system. Many plants become root or pot bound and need a bit of loosening. If the roots are tightly bound, you can slit the mass with a knife or pruners. If roots have circled inside a pot and they continue to circle, they may starve or rot. Roots need to spread for optimum growth.
Watering
A general rule of thumb is once soil begins to thaw, you can water once every 1-2 weeks. As the days begin to warm water more frequently. In the summer some plants made need a deep watering every other day; some vegetables might need a cooling down at the end of every day.
Mulching
Mulch is a top dressing for soil that helps conserve soil moisture, minimize weeds, reduce erosion, cool roots during the summer and insulate them during the winter. Mulching is done after plants are set in the ground. There are two kinds of mulches—organic and inorganic. Organic includes bark, wood chips, sawdust, straw, leaves and newspaper. Inorganic mulches include stone, gravel and plastic coverings. Or you can buy bags of mulch such as Soil Mender Mulch, which also works as an excellent soil amendment. Generally, about two inches of mulch over the top of the garden soil will do.
Fertilizing
Ideally, if soil is adequately prepared, fertilizing isn’t necessary when first setting plants. But a stimulator such as SUPERthrive will certainly help reduce transplant shock. Once plants are established and you feel they need something extra, try Gro-Power 5-3-1 or Yum Yum Mix. Both will boost nutrient levels.
If you keep these five gardening basics in mind, you’ll give your garden and new beds a good head start this spring.
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