4 Ways to Work LESS in your Summer Garden & Get MORE Food
I know you are busy. I know the weeds are taking over. I know the cucumbers are making you mad.
Don’t give up.
Don’t lose heart.
This is GO TIME.
This is the time to push through, get out there and manage those weeds. Harvest that broccoli. Pull up the onions.
We are food growers!
Down with grocers!
We don’t need commercially grown foods – we have our yards.
If you are a gardener, preserver, and food producer you cannot quit now.
I need this pep talk as much as anyone.
The problem is that it is HOT and we are all tired.
BUT we all have growing seasons.
The fact is that most of us do not have the luxury of being able to grow food year round.
We must “make hay when the sun shines” so to speak.
And the time is now.
This winter while you are snuggled up in front of the fireplace you will be overjoyed that you spent the time to grow, preserve, freeze and can the garden. We will be sitting on our rumps, eating fresh spaghetti sauce and homegrown beans while the chestnuts roast.
Pests & Problems (1) Using Neem Oil as a Fungicide & Pesticide
4 Ways to Work LESS in Your Garden
ONE: MULCH!!!
The biggest timesaver in the garden is to keep the ground mulched. If you have bare soil you will be pulling a few hundred weeds. Simply covering that empty space with some sort of mulch will make you garden-life better.
Great Natural Mulch Ideas:
- wood chips
- pine needles
- straw
- newspapers
- cardboard
- lawn clippings
- cool manures (like rabbit)
TWO: Water When Needed
I don’t water my garden. I mulch deep and I let the rain take care of the plants. If we do not get any rain for a couple of weeks I will give them little drink. Other than that I let them fend for themselves. Sometimes we create more work for ourselves.
If you get in the habit of watering every day, your plants will grow to need that. If they must survive on their own, they adapt to that.
I’m not saying you should let all your plants die. If it never rains in your area – for sure water your garden. If you live in an area that receives plenty of rainfall, you probably don’t need to fuss with extra watering on in-between days.
THREE: Get Up Early and Do It
Garden work is always easier in the morning. It is cool (er) outside and it is the perfect time to amend your garden. If you need to apply an organic pest management dust or spray – the morning is the least risky time to do it. Applying solutions (even natural ones) during the heat of the day can be stressful and even deadly to tender vegetable plants.
Additionally, if you are going to water your garden, it should be done early in the day for a couple of reasons:
- Watering during hot times can result in most of the water evaporating.
- Watering late in the day can cause plants to remain damp throughout the evening which can cause or encourage a mold problem.
By watering first thing in the morning, the plants will receive the benefit and will have plenty of time to dry before evening.
FOUR: Stop Problems before they Start
Fewer problems mean less work for you.
If you don’t want to spend the second half of the summer fighting squash bugs and cabbage worms- do something to prevent them.
Once they move in and raise families it can be impossible to stop their damage.
A quick sprinkle of DE (Diatomaceous Earth) can prevent a bug/worm infection from starting.
For more information on Organic Gardening & How to Grow Your Own Food check out the Organic Gardening Class.
It is happening now and is filled with information on how to grow your best garden ever.
The summer gardens are just ramping up and the fall gardens will be going in next month!
It’s not too late to learn the tips and tricks that Organic Growers use to produce food for the entire year.
XO,
Candi
