I've been receiving hundreds of e-mails and messages from all of you about my beautiful garden! THANK YOU! I take a lot of pride in growing my own food. I had a HUGE garden in Ohio! I had a modest garden of lavender, aloe, and herbs in San Diego but now, I am growing 90% of my own food.
In fact, I haven’t bought any greens, lettuce fruits or vegetables in almost three months. I've saved a ton of money since getting wicked serious about my green thumb!
I encourage you to watch my latest YouTube video about my end of season harvest above.
I wanted to share with you just a few of my FAVORITE GARDENING TIPS! Check them out and PLEASE feel free to send me photos of your garden too!
My top 5 Gardening Tips!
Tip # 1 Good soil!
COMPOST COMPOST COMPOST!
Everyone knows what isn’t eaten in my home goes into the garden. Between the hours of 9 pm and 10 pm, you will find me in the garden with my PJs and warm boots covering my compost from the day's scraps. If you're starting with sod, you'll either need to cut it up in chunks and repurpose it, till it in or lay down wet newspaper or cardboard to smother it. I find the best time to do this is in the fall months.
Most plants prefer a deep, well-drained, fertile soil rich in organic matter. Plant roots need good garden soil to produce good vegetables and fruit.
Once you start a garden, you’ll gain a new appreciation for healthy soil as it improves year after year. Healthy, vibrant soil equals healthy, vibrant plants with built-in disease and pest resistance and more nutrition. I do not use any pest control sprays or chemicals in my garden what so ever. I have yet to see an issue.
Tip #2 Choose the right transplants or seeds
My favorite seed sources can be found online at any organic non-GMO seed distributing website.
To learn which plants grow best directly seeded in the garden and which plants are better as transplants, visit the seed starting calendar. If you want to grow specific varieties, especially heirloom varieties, you'll probably need to grow your own transplants from seed. Starting your own transplants is a great way to save money!
Transplants can be rough! I transplanted several rose bushes from my last home to this home and only one of them made it. I literally sulked for over a week!
Tip #3 Invest in long-lasting gardening tools
The right tools make working in your garden a pleasure instead of a chore. You don’t use a butter knife to chop up raw carrots, and you shouldn’t use dull or flimsy tools to work in your garden. Basic gardening equipment includes:
- Garden hoe
- Scuffle hoe
- Dirt rake
- Leaf rake
- Garden Shovel or D handle Shovel
- Hand tools
Tip #4 What do you LOVE to eat? Grow this!
If you won’t eat a certain fruit or vegetable, don’t grow it in your vegetable garden. Focus on the fruits, vegetables, or herbs that you and your family enjoy eating the most.
Make sure your top choices make sense for your area's gardening zone. If possible, talk to successful gardeners in your area to find out which crops grow well and which don’t.
Tip #5 Location location location!
Most fruits and vegetables THRIVE in full sun, with a minimum of five hours of direct sunlight per day for fruiting. Greens, herbs, and root veggies will grow best in partial shade. Southern gardens may benefit from late afternoon shade. Northern gardens will thrive by getting all the sun they can get.
Think about how you will access the garden for picking, watering, and caring for your plants. I recently bought pavers so I can tend to my garden without actually stepping on my plants. Avoid high wind areas and frost pockets (whereas low areas where frost is likely to settle).
If you are dealing with wildlife trampling through your garden please be kind. They were here before we were. I am totally against traps and poison! Please just fence the garden area off. Although this doesn't always work, I've had success 90% of the time.
I hope these tips helped you! They sure have helped me over the years.
Let me know by messaging me on my personal page via Facebook! I would love for us to become friends there! In fact, I am going live in about two hours! Join me!
Remember I only want the very best for you!
Cilantro kisses
I love you, Isn’t it time you love yourself
~ Andrea