The garden's been mulched and tilled and planting has begun. Since I'm in garden layout mode, and so many people are doing gardens this year, I thought I'd do 5 Gardening Things for today's blog post.
1. Remember to transition indoor or greenhouse starter plants before planting them out. Set outdoors in a sheltered spot while they adjust to outdoor conditions. Keep an eye on moisture as they will dry out faster then they do indoors. If there's a frost, move them back inside or cover them for the night. A week is best but depending on your climate, 3-4 transition days is probably enough.
2. Check your plants' space requirements before planting to make sure you allow enough room for the mature plant and to make tending/harvesting easy.
3. Make your rows wide enough to easily walk through and tend/harvest plants.
4. Spread straw between plants and in the rows to help the ground retain moisture and keep weeds down. Bonus: the straw mulches in and makes nice compost for next year's garden.
5. Plant marigolds around your tomatoes and onions around your lettuce and carrots to discourage pests.
