Spring is here and we are already anticipating delicious spring and summer produce harvests from our gardens! But there is a bit of work to go from dream to reality and there are some very common gardening challenges that we all face at some point. Here are a few that you need to prepare for in order to maximize success with your vegetable garden.
Planting Too Early
We totally get it. With the unusually warm winter it is so tempting to plant as soon as the first nice day comes. But planting too early can hurt the results. Plants may have too little light (resulting in spindly plants), and they can be more prone to bolting. Planting too early means they may not have the right temperatures required to establish well.
Spacing Too Tightly
Spacing plants appropriately can also be a gardening challenge, and the usual recommended spacing always seems too generous. As a result, many people tuck them in 2-3 inches closer than they should be. Then the plants grow and get crowded, causing lower yields at harvest time, requiring more watering, and making it easy for pests and disease to spread quickly through the fast.
Managing Weeds
Weed control is critical to maintaining a healthy garden. Weeds can steal needed water and nutrients from your garden plants, harbor bad insects, and shade or crowd out your vegetables. Once they get too big, it can be too overwhelming to tackle the problem. But if you start early in the season, your weeds won’t have a chance to get established and regular weeding will keep things under control. Spending a few minutes each day is much easier than waiting until things are out of control.
Having Poor Soil
Successful gardening starts at the soil. If your soil is not good, your plants will not be healthy. Healthy soil rich with organic matter and nutrients will go a long way toward combating all kinds of garden challenges. Especially plants like tomatoes and peppers that need tons of nutrients. But unhealthy soil will let nutrients wash out of the soil very quickly and either will dry out too fast or stay waterlogged. The most important thing you can do for your garden is to improve the soil.
Over or Under Watering
It can be tricky to get just the right amount of water in your garden. Too little water creates obvious problems. But if your soil stays water-logged or you’re watering too much, it may create inhospitable conditions in your garden. Most vegetable crops like to dry out a bit between waterings, and vegetables like tomatoes and squash don’t like too much water. The best way to learn how to find the balance is to feel the soil with your hand. If it’s dry an inch down, you need to water. On hot days you may need to water every day. Early in the season, it’s a good idea to check the soil every day since they’re much more susceptible to water stress.
Ensuring Proper Sun
Sunlight is critical for your garden and vegetables like tomatoes, melons, peppers, and eggplant prefer as much sun as possible – probably eight hours per day. If you garden is not in a sunny area, you can focus on growing vegetables that need less sunlight. These might include root vegetables like carrots and beets, and leafy vegetables like spinach, salad mix, cilantro, and kale.
Dealing with Weather
New Jersey has experienced some extreme weather over the past few years and this can create gardening challenges. For example, nighttime temperatures below 60 degrees and daytime temps above 85 degrees can cause tomato and pepper plants to drop their flowers. And generally hot and dry weather with no rain can stress your plants. Be sure to give your plants at least one inch of water per week. And mulch can help because it traps in moisture and helps regulate soil temperatures.
Fending off Critters
After putting in the hard work of planting and nurturing your garden, there is nothing more discouraging than finding that critters and pest have destroyed your work. Critters such as rabbits, squirrels, birds, raccoons and deer can be drawn to our gardens and become a difficult problem that every gardener faces. Because many pests are unavoidable, proper fencing and critter proofing is critical to ensuring your garden remains intact.
Identifying and Treating Insects & Disease
Insects and disease are common problems for gardeners. If there’s a particular vegetable in your garden that’s not doing well, such as some kale with holes in it, the poor performance could be from an insect or a disease. Same as pests, if your plants had a disease last year, do some research this year to find out how to prevent the disease, and check your plants regularly for signs of disease. And it’s always best to avoid harmful chemicals, which will kill everything including beneficial insects. In order to have a healthy garden ecosystem you need a wide variety of insects living in and around your garden.
We at Yard2Kitchen wish you a wonderful season of organic vegetable gardening, with minimal challenges! And as always, we are here to help if you need it. Please Contact Us if you are interested in having your own backyard organic garden or have questions about some of our features:
- We work with you to scope out the ideal location for sunlight and optimal growing.
- We plant at the optimal time of year and ensure proper spacing.
- We use premium soil that is rich in organic matter.
- We can construct critter proof fencing.
- We offer maintenance services to ensure your garden is properly watered, weeded, and kept free of harmful insects.
Resources:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/problems-growing-vegetables.htm
https://www.creativevegetablegardener.com/soil-problems/
https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/garden-challenges/
https://mother-nature.ca/9-common-gardening-challenges-and-solutions/