Best Gardening Tips

According to the madman’s calculations, this is the 100^th blog we shared. Like grandson Liam says, doing anything 100 times is “crazy.” His brother Patrick quickly chimes in, “real crazy.” But, crazy or not, we did it. In honor of this feat, we are going to offer up the gardening tips we love the best.

We have never professed to be experts – master gardeners, yes, but that’s neither here nor there. And, remember, I am gardening with a madman. So, some of these tips may be far out. Here it is mid-April, but gardening season is yearlong and we have to start someplace, so mid-April is our starting point.

We Start Our Best Gardening Tips in Early Spring

• Water.
• Don’t rush the season. (Remember the madman’s peas?)
• Don’t plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day. 
• Celebrate Earth Day – it’s coming up. Our grandsons, Liam, Patrick and Teddy, and your grandchildren will appreciate our efforts.
• Keep a journal of your gardening adventures.
• Plant cool weather crops now. Radish, beet and carrots can go straight into the ground.
• Lettuce and other greens can start as transplants or be direct seeded.
• Plan succession plantings to extend the harvest.
• Try Asian greens, they add flavor, color, texture.
• Don’t plant vegetables that you and your kids don’t eat – they take up valuable garden space.
• Plant onions in mid-April. We get our plants from Dixondale Farms in Texas.
• Plant a dedicated bed of onions in rows with a mulch of straw or leaves between the rows. Water well.
• Use onion plants as a pest deterrent along the edges of other garden beds. This row of defense has worked well, especially for potatoes.
• Broccoli and other brassica transplants can go in now. Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, cabbage are part this family; they like cool weather.
• Put collars around tender stems to protect from cutworms.
• The imported cabbage moth is around. Be prepared to use row covers or start your control method. They LOVE broccoli.

Enjoy the Season Change

• Lack of space? Consider starting a container garden. Keep the soil loose and water often.
• Put out suicide tomatoes. The madman starts these early so he sets them out early in the hope one or two will survive.
• Check out your local farm stand so you can buy locally. Rely on them for seedlings and a fresh supply of local produce.
• Join a CSA
• Frequent local farmers’ markets.
• Be aware of the birds: spring migrators are showing up in our gardens. Watch for Red-wing Blackbirds, Orioles, Cowbirds and Warblers.
• Better yet, check Journey North so you are ready for them.
• Check local wildlife regulations – here in Farmington we have a ban on feeding wildlife after April 1. No bird feeders!
• Fill up your hummingbird feeders. The hummers are on the move. As we interpret our new regulations, this is allowed.
• Take a hike through local woods.
• Look for ephemerals.
• Start looking for invasives you can get rid of.
• Don’t dig up native plants to bring home.
• Before going in or out of woods, clean your boots or shoes.
• Know your last frost date. Ours is May 15.
• Give seedlings plenty of light and harden them off before the last frost.
• Prepare your beds and amend the soil as needed.
• Turn your compost, you can use it in your garden beds.
• After last frost date, transplant your warm-weather seedlings into the garden. Don’t forget the collars and water well.
• Mulch plants to control weeds and retain moisture.
• Transplant flower seedlings – remember blocks of color help attract pollinators.
• Know what colors your favorite pollinators prefer.
• Label everything.
• Plant flowers in vegetable garden to attract pollinators.
• Fertilize with care.

Summer is Busy, but Rewarding

These tips should take you into June. Your garden should be looking good now and will start to reward your efforts. Besides just working in the garden, now is a good time to get out and appreciate the garden. Start each day with a coffee stroll through the beds.

• Be observant, you’ll see lots of things.
• Learn to identify insects; some are good, some are bad.
• Sit down and watch the butterflies and hummingbirds.
• Practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
• Weed and water.
• Harvest and use your produce.
• Share your harvest.
• Clean your tools.
• Keep track of sunlight. Make sure your gardens get enough.
• Identify trees that may be causing shade. This fall you may want to have these pruned or removed.
• Visit your garden at night.
• Make plans to visit other gardens.
• Plan to take a trip to a state or national park or two.
• Celebrate July 4 by harvesting your garlic.
• Order fall-planted bulbs.
• Consider planting for a fall harvest, and do it.

As Nature Winds Down, There are Still Things to Do

Near the end of summer, the days will start to get shorter and your plants will start to wind down. That’s okay, they need some rest.

• Save seeds.
• Know the difference between open pollinated and hybrid seeds.
• Bring in tender bulbs; you know, things like Glads and Dahlias.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs.
• Bring in all non-hardy plants for the winter.
• Check in-bound plants for bugs and do a soil drench.
• Manage your trees-now is the time to remove those shade producers.
• Gather excess leaves to use for next year’s mulch.
• Plant garlic on Halloween.
• Remove garden debris and clean up vegetable beds. Leave perennial beds for the wildlife.
• Consider becoming a Master Gardener – next year’s classes are forming.
• Celebrate the harvest.

Now is The Time to Plan

The Persephone Period is upon us and we are entering the hot cocoa days of winter, but there is plenty left to do if you are a gardener. Now is the time to plan next year’s garden.

• Read your journal to see what went right and what went wrong.
• Start to select your seeds – try some new varieties and remember to read all those tips in the catalogs.
• Educate yourself – find articles/books on companion planting, composting, life cycles of insects, new planting methods (the list is endless).
• Watch gardening webinars or listen to podcasts.
• Grow succulents in windows.
• Overwinter exotics in basement.
• Water houseplants and watch for bugs.
• Maintain your tools and equipment.
• Consider gardening gifts for the holidays.
• Grow an Amaryllis or force some flowering bulbs.
• Start your own seeds, but don’t rush it.
• Use sterile soil for any seed starting.
• Use grow lights for the really dark days of winter.
• Watch for and enjoy winter wildlife.
• Feed the birds; for us, after November 1.
• Start to use Latin names.
• Go to the Hartford Flower Show to lift your spirits.
• Prune fruit trees and berries while they are still dormant.

So, there’s a whole year, but it’s certainly not inclusive. There’s always a ton of other things to do, but the most important thing is to water and have fun, especially water. If you’re not having fun, maybe you should consider moving to Montana and raising dental floss.

Having said that, it’s time for some hot cocoa.