Caring for a garden is an ongoing process, but it doesn’t have to feel like a chore. The more you know about how to care for your flowers, vegetables and other plants, the easier it is to maintain a happy and healthy garden.
To help you get started or to refresh the basics, here is a list of everything you need to do to care for your garden:
Mulch early and often
Keeping your soil healthy is crucial to keeping your plants healthy. Mulch your garden as soon as you plant anything new to help manage moisture and ward off weeds. Mulching regularly also helps keep pests away and prevents plant diseases, especially in young plants.
Water correctly
Water your garden regularly for healthy plants, but be careful not to water too often. Know the specific water needs of your plants to ensure you’re giving them the correct amount of moisture to grow strong and healthy. Moreover, take care to water directly at the soil level, as many plants are sensitive to mildew if their leaves get wet.
Remove weeds
Weeding regularly is another aspect of keeping your garden healthy. With the right preparation, like mulching and companion planting, you might not have many weeds to begin with. For the weeds that do appear, efficient removal with the right garden tools will reduce the risk of them returning.
Beware pests and diseases
It’s a good idea to check your plants weekly for any signs of pests or disease. Find out what pests are most likely to affect your plants and have a strategy for dealing with them. Having insecticidal soap and fungicide available will help you target and treat infestations and plant sickness.
Feed as needed
Some plants are hungrier than others, and require additional nutrients from fertilizers to thrive. Create sustainable fertilizer from your compost pile and apply it to the garden during the growing season. To prevent fertilizer “burn” and other issues, avoid fertilizing too often in the winter or other times of plant dormancy.
The more you know about caring for your garden plants, the healthier they will be. If you ever need help, you can consult your local nursery or garden center for advice and expert opinions.
About the Author
Carolyn Andrews
Carolyn Andrews has over 30 years licensed Brokerage experience in both California and Colorado. Born in England, Carolyn moved to California in 1980, then relocated to Denver, Colorado in 1991. Carolyn has also received recognition for Top Sales at RE/MAX Alliance Aurora in 2007-2008 and is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame & Chairman’s Club, as well as a recipient of the ReMax Lifetime Achievement Award. Carolyn has sold over 2000 homes personally in her career. Carolyn has been actively involved in many aspects of the Real Estate business including investment property, luxury homes, mountain resort property, skiin/ski out, REO/default management, loss mitigation, valuations, and disposition. She has been a speaker and panelist at several conferences and has been consulted on many occasions by various organizations in the REO/financial industries for her expertise and served on many boards. She has attended numerous ongoing classes to stay abreast of changes in the ever-evolving Real Estate industry. She is the prior State Director for Colorado for VAREP(Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals). She is a member of 3 boards of Realtors including Metro Denver, Colorado Springs and Summit County mountain areas. She heads up The Andrews Group and is or has been an active member of NAR, CAR,REOMAC, CIPS, CRS, AREAA, NAPW, NAHREP, and is an original member of the ELITEReal Estate network. She was ranked #1 for most homes sold in Denver 2007 by Denver Board of Realtors, #2 for 2008, and #2 for 2009, #5 in 2010 and #4 in 2011 and has been consistently in the top 10 ever since. Carolyn Andrews has been a top rated Endorsed Local Provider for the Dave Ramsey Organization and also a Top Producing agent for 2018 for the Homelight Company.
