For landscapers, a vegetable garden can be an aesthetic addition to the yard that provides vibrant colors and a variety of textures, however if you’re a gardener that loves to cook there’s a good chance you only care about how it tastes! The good news is that you have both beauty and deliciousness, while also adding in a dose of economy by growing your own food.
With healthy living at the forefront of many people’s minds and inflating grocery costs, gardening is becoming quite popular and those who have been doing it for years will advocate that their vegetables always taste better than anything on the shelves of a store. Whether this is your first time or you’re a seasoned veteran there are a few basic, easy-to-do practices that gardening experts suggest to help you have a successful experience.
We’ve consolidated the best of the best essential tips to provide you with 6 ways you can ensure your vegetable garden is fruitful and absolutely delicious this year! Here they are.
#1 Pay Attention to Location and Sun
If you think of vegetable plants as dedicated, poolside sunbathers then you’ll note how much they love spending as much time as possible soaking in the rays. Most vegetable plants do best in full sun and they require a location that will give them at least 6 hours of it a day. To help your crops be prolific, arrange your plants so that those that grow the tallest are on the north or west side of your garden. This will give the smaller plants a fighting chance as it prevents them from being overshadowed by their taller neighbors.
#2 Check Your Soil and Add Amendments if Necessary
Soil is everything to a plant trying to take root, thus it’s incredibly important to make sure that you know what type of soil you have before planting. Test your soil and learn more ways to modify it with the following post: Tips to Modifying Your California Soil with Amendments. You’ll learn there are numerous ways to alter your sandy or clay soil so that it becomes a more favorable “loamy-like” mix. You want your soil to provide a plethora of nutrients, be able to retain moisture well, and have the ability to drain at a proper rate. Two excellent products that can help attain those qualities are: Lyngso Essential Soil Blend, which is excellent for raised garden beds, and Lyngso Organic Vegetable Blend, curated for in-ground planting.
#3 Water Regularly with Irrigation
Irrigation is incredibly important! Instead of watering every day, apply controlled amounts of water 3-4 times a week to provide your crops with deeper and longer periods for them to take in essential nutrients. This practice encourages deep root growth whereas shorter watering periods typically lead to shallow root growth.
#4 Add Mulch That Decomposes into a Soil Amendment
Mulch has a variety of purposes and is oftentimes used within the fall season to prepare plants for winter, see Fall Mulching Tips for California Plants & Landscapes to learn more. As a quick brief mulch insulates the soil, which can help keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It also helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, and can act as a protective barrier.
Since applying the best gardening practices means doing seasonal work, using a type of mulch that can easily be amended into the soil is best. Lyngso Mini Mulch Fir Bark is best to use for vegetable beds as it will decompose faster than larger much and eventually will turn into organic soil amendment.
#5 Attract Beneficial Predatory Insects
Attract beneficial bugs to your insectary neighborhood early in the season with flowers and you’ll benefit from their presence for months to come. Hoverflies and lacewings, for instance, are attracted to early bloomers and if drawn to your garden early in the season they will unleash their predatory offspring to help combat aphids and mites. Praying mantids are excellent pest eaters and are drawn to taller plants so that they can hide between the stalks and leaves. Ground beetles on the other hand patrol the soil at night feasting on slugs and cutworms. They love mulch because it provides a safe spot from them to be during the hottest hours of the day.
Check out the online class regarding Good Bugs Bad Bugs on Edible Plants for more examples.
#6 Find and Plant Crops Specific to Your Region
Once your green thumb has started to grow it can be easy to forget that not all plants are meant to grow in all regions. Seasonality and variety of crops are important to pay attention to. Do a little extra research and figure out which plant crops are specific to your region. The USDA plant hardiness zone map is an excellent tool to help gardeners and growers determine which plants are most likely to thrive at any given location.
Your Go-To California Garden and Landscaping Supplier
Gardening tips may not always be the most innovative solutions, but they sure are effective when applied at just the right time. With decades of experience, our family-run and employee-owned business is passionate about gardening. At Lyngso , we love helping our customers make the world a brighter place through their beautiful, delicious, and economical vegetable gardens.
We’ve been serving the San Francisco Peninsula for more than 70 years and would love to help you benefit from the plant life this incredible area has to offer. Contact us today to learn more.
