Organize Your Spring Planting
by Paula Eichermuller - sunshineorganize@aol.com
Spring is finally here. This means we can go to the nurseries and
buy all of the beautiful flowers we want. Right? Well you might
want to take the time to plan your garden this year, before
making costly some mistakes. I have listed here for you a few
things you might want to consider before making any purchases.
* Do I want to start from seeds? This process can be a very time
consuming effort. If you don't have the time to dedicate yourself
to the labor involved, consider seedlings. Someone else has done
all of the hard work and all you have to do is plant them in the
ground.
* Do you have the time? Most gardens require a lot of
maintenance. Your garden can be as big or little as you want it
to be, but keep in mind, in order for them to grow and stay
beautiful you must have the time to pull weeds, fertilize,
prune,water, etc.
* Do you want vegetables? Nothing tastes better than a tomato you
have grown yourself. Do you have enough people to share your
vegetables with. One year I grew so many tomatoes that I couldn't
find enough people to share them with, which ultimately led to
rotten tomatoes, and a waste of my time and money. I heard
somewhere (after this, of course) that the rule of thumb for
tomato plants are: one plant will yield enough tomatoes for one
person for the entire summer. So if you are a family of three you
don't need twenty seven tomato plants!
* Where will you be planting? Do you have a bare spot in your
garden because you think that "nothing can grow there"? Maybe
the reason is because you have been putting the wrong plants in
the wrong place. When planning your garden you need will need to
monitor the sun for a few days. Are there some areas that get too
much sun? Are there some areas that get little or no sun? Take
notes about different parts of your yard and carry it to the
nursery with you. This way when you find a plant you like you
will know if it will do well in that part of the yard.
Remember- If a plant says "full sun" it means it!
* Do you have the space? I know it is easy to get excited about
all of the wonderful colors and fragrances that plants
produce,but you have to think about their full potential. What
might be in a six inch pot now may grow to over seven feet tall
and wide. Can the space you have accommodate that kind of growth?
As you can see, it is very important to organize your planting
wants and needs. Without doing so, you may end up with dead
plants, overgrown shrubs, and more work then you bargained for.
Remember with proper planning of your ideas, space, and purchases
you can have a garden that is the envy of the neighborhood.
Do you want next year to be easier? Why not start a gardening
journal. Make notes of: what plants worked, and which didn't.
What time of year you planted them, the type of fertilizer you
used, etc.
Organize your spring planting and watch your garden grow!
Reprinted with permission.
