KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – SEVEN STEPS TO SMART GARDENING
Start small. You can grow quite a few vegetables in an area as small as 100 square feet. Train beans and peas up a fence, put tomatoes and peppers in front. Grow quick sprouting lettuce and spinach in between. Get the kids involved too! They will learn to eat more veggies when they can grow and pick their own. Lettuces, radishes and carrots grow quickly and with little effort.
Don’t walk on the soil. This compacts the soil and makes it difficult for roots to grow. I use pavers in the garden running down the center. This enables me to work on each side without ever touching soil, even when the soil is wet.
Don’t overwork the soil. Turning soil over just brings weed seeds to the surface to sprout. All you need to do is loosen the soil with a wide fork. This aerates the soil without disturbing it too much.
Add compost every year. This is especially important in poor soil. After a few years you will have rich soil for your planting. Mulch also adds to the soil in addition to conserving water and keeping down weeds.
Water thoroughly and infrequently. Only supplement nature when necessary. Plants differ in their watering needs. Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and spinach need a lot of water, peppers not so much.
Don’t go crazy with the fertilizer. Plant foods recommend every 7-14 days. Why? They want to sell more product. Every 21-28 days is sufficient. Fertilizer often gives you lush foliage when what you want is vegetable production. Sun, soil and water are more important.
Walk through the garden every day. Check out what’s going on. Pull a few weeds. Check for bugs. Commune with your garden. Just a few minutes a day will keep the garden in great shape and is also the greatest stress reliever I know.
KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
