Garden Maintenance – Midway Through the Growing Season
Here is a tour of my Front Garden (this one get’s all the sun) where I’ll show you what’s going on, how I’m handling issues and maintaining the garden. This garden was planted about 6 weeks prior to this video, we are in between the planting and harvesting phases where taking care of the garden is most important.
You Reap What You Sow!
Learn MY Favorite Seeds & Varieties HERE
Here is what I suggest for the second month of your growing season for maintenance
- Check for bugs, slugs and such
- Spray Monterey spray with Spinosad if you see potato beetles
- Use DE or Monterey Spray on other items if your seeing bugs and eaten leaves
- Using a hoe make sure to work up your pathways if not covered to minimize weeds
- If you used string to mark your rows you can remove that now
- 1st application of fertilizer if needed
- Pull weeds in between plants
- Replant seeds if needed
- Harvest lettuce, radishes, garlic scapes if appropriate and replant
- Continue trimming & staking tomatoes
- Succession planting of lettuce, radishes, beets
Click on the image to download & print! This is pulled from my Ultimate Gardening Bundle which you can grab HERE
Tomatoes:
Pruning
- Careful on the pruning. Prune any suckers
- Remove the leaves/stems that are touching the ground
- Do not over prune – take care to leave their solar panels to capture the sun for energy. You also do not want to remove to much in order to keep the tomatoes in the shade or they will get sun scald.
- Staking them or carefully putting the branches back through the hog panel/cattle panel (my favorite way to stake up the tomatoes)
Click HERE to Learn All About Tomatoes
Dry Beans:
- Setting up the poles & lines to help keep them off the ground (air flow is important for later harvesting of DRY beans)
- Taking their growing tentacles/tendrils and wrapping around those lines
Click HERE to Learn All About Growing Dry Beans
Potatoes:
- Continue covering the potatoes with dirt
- Check for potatoes beetles and squish them (if out of control Spray Monterey spray with Spinosad)
Click HERE to Learn All About Growing Potatoes
Peas & Cucumbers:
- I grow these usually on the same trellis or something similar (using a piece of fencing & 2 poles)
- Carefully tuck them into the fence so they continue to grow
My Top Gardening Resources – Tools to Have on Hand
This is a really important area to focus resources on by having the proper tools on hand. There is an overwhelming amount of “things” people seem to recommend. Here are my recommendations and they are kept to a minimum because you do not need a lot of different items to successfully garden. Everything I’m recommending is what I use for my organic garden. I highly suggest getting these items on hand PRIOR to the gardening season. I can’t stress this enough, sometimes it’s to late to order something or pick it up at the store. Some items you’ll be able to find at your big box stores. I have most items linked to Amazon if that is easier for you as well. They are my affiliate links, the prices stay the same for you I earn a smidge off the purchase which helps me keep my website up & running. Thank you!
working in the garden is rewarding both mentally and physically
Tools – Pests Management – Fertilizer Options
My Recommended Hand Held Tools:
Weeder Wilcox 14″ All-Pro Digging
PLUS:
- Shovel
- Potato Digger
- Cultivator (3 prong hoe)
I suggest not wearing gloves, working with the soil is incredibly healing and
it helps you feel and learn the soil texture while working in it.
Favorite way to clean veggies: a fish cleaning table that you hook up to your hose near your garden so when you wash your veggies the dirt and nutrients go right back into the garden. This is genius is it not? All those root crops that you’ll dig up with all the glorious dirt really should be put back into your garden and not your septic system. At Christmas & Black Friday time I have been able to get these from Bass Pro shops for around $50 on black Friday if they don’t run out.
Fertilizer Options
Chicken poop : aka liquid gold. If you have access from your own chickens or a neighbor this is a great fertilizer to add. Please note this should only be added to your garden during the winter. It needs to break down as it is to “hot” and will burn your plants if directly applied.
Pig poop: can be added directly but use caution in the amount
Cow & Horse Manure: I do not personally use as I do not have access however you can directly apply in your garden
Other Options:
Garden-tone Organic Fertilizer
Pest Management
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Food Grade Only – works great for all kinds of pests & safe – only apply when it’s dry out (no rain or watering in the forecast)
Monterey Spray with Spinosad -is an important one that we use to control potato bugs, worms on any tree, and even slugs eating the brassica’s. It must contain “Spinosad” .
-Neem Oil-useful against fungi, mildews, and rusts
