As spring weather is upon us, we begin to envision our gardens bursting with organic produce! But there may be other activities calling for our attention as well. If you love the ideas of your own vegetable garden but don’t have quite enough hours in a day, we have some great tips to save time gardening!
– Choose Low Maintenance Vegetables
If you know you will be pressed for time when tending to your vegetable garden, you can select crops that are relatively low maintenance and a little easier to grow. Vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, spicy peppers, beans, and lettuce are great ones to start with!
– Grow Plants with Similar Requirements Together
You can also group plants according to their requirements. Plants that require full sun or shade can be planted together. Then you can be more efficient, watering the plants that require moist soil together.
– Plant Perennial Crops
Perennial crops are a huge time saver since they don’t have to be replanted each year! With a strong root system, they are also more capable of accessing deep soil water reserves limiting the need for excessive watering. Easy perennial crops include asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel, or herbs like thyme, sage, and lemon balm.
– Have Your Garden Tools Organized and Nearby
Being organized is also important in saving time. Keep your tools together and neat so you can find what you need quickly. And if you can keep them in a shed or storage areas near your garden, that will save even more time.
– Use Organic Slow-Release Fertilizers
Using slow-release or time-based fertilizer in your garden will reduce the amount of time required to fertilize your plants during the growing season. They release small quantities of nutrients into the soil over a period of weeks and months. This also allows your produce to grow at a uniform rate.
– Use Self-Watering Containers
You can’t get away from watering your plants, but use of self-watering containers will make this easier. Constructed with two parts, it has an inner pot that holds the soil with plants and an outer pot that contains water. These containers act as a reservoir, providing water for several days depending on the weather conditions. Not only will you save time watering but the enclosed containers prevent nutrients in the soil from washing away!
– Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Using mulch is a great way to save time and keep your garden low maintenance. It helps conserve soil moisture and reduces the need to water. And it also prevents weeds! So it’s a double time-saver!
– Install a Programmable Drip Irrigation System
Hauling a hose or watering cans can be stressful and time-consuming, especially if you have a large garden. But you can install a tap right into the garden or install a programmable drip irrigation system. This is a huge time saver! Not only does drip irrigation supply the right amount of water necessary for your plants to thrive, it also delivers water right at the roots, where it’s most needed, and keeps water off the leaves, which helps prevent fungal diseases like powdery mildew and garlic rust.
As always, please let the team at Yard2Kitchen know if you would like help with your own backyard organic garden. Not only do we design, install, and plant to your specifications, we can handle the maintenance. The ultimate time saver!
Sources:
https://healthiersteps.com/timesaving-tips-for-vegetable-gardens/
https://savvygardening.com/5-time-saving-gardening-tips-for-the-vegetable-gardener/
https://balconygardenweb.com/time-saving-tips-for-busy-gardeners/