It is officially that time of year in which I begin my spring garden! I love growing things like lettuce, tomatoes, and squash. These things I get to eat fresh and then I can preserve the rest of it by canning or freezing it. There’s just something about growing my own food that makes me feel good. Here are some of my favorite tips in order to help get your garden thriving this spring!
- Water those plants either in the evening or in the morning, this is so the sun and heat doesn’t evaporate everything and therefore make them wilt or die.
- If your plants are starting to yellow, they need nitrogen! You can achieve adding more nitrogen by fertilizer, or if you have some livestock like cattle or horses, some composted manure works wonders.
- Where you put your garden will make all the difference in the world. You will need to put your garden in an area where there is lots of sun, as those plants need lots of sun and nutrients to make big vegetables.
- Pick good soil for the garden. What I like to do is use a raised bed and put buckets of regular dirt in the bottom, and then go buy high quality soil from places like Lowes or Home Depot for the topmost layer. This is more cost effective then using all store bought soil and is still very efficient.
- As we know, North Carolina weather can be very unpredictable and we could still have nights where it gets below freezing. If this happens, don’t panic! The best thing to do is either bring the plants inside if possible or simply cover them up with a towel or plastic to allow them to trap heat.
No matter what you grow, being able to walk out your door and pick your food fresh is such a good feeling! Happy Gardening!
