It takes years to grow a garden, but minutes to destroy it. That’s why it is important to follow protection plans while landscaping.
Fully inspect plants to make sure they are pest and rot free before buying or planting them. Infected and diseased plants can spread diseases to healthy ones.
- Keep It Clean
A clean garden can help deter the spread of disease, weeds and pests. It also looks much better and gives a sense of pride to your gardening efforts.
A good spring cleaning will also deter many diseases that overwinter in dead leaves or stems, like iris leaf spot, daylily leaf streak and rose rust. This helps prevent these from attacking new leaves and flowers as they emerge in the spring.
You should sweep your lawn regularly, rake and remove leaves, and clean planters, pots, and other garden tools. Store tools in a shed or separate area to avoid injuries and accidents. Also, a self-contained compost pile with a lid will keep raccoons and other local creatures from rummaging through your food scraps.
- Keep It Watered
A healthy garden depends on a constant supply of water. Long days, heat and humidity can reduce the soil’s moisture content, causing plants to wilt or even die.
Proper watering prevents disease, fungi and other pest problems. Avoid letting your garden become soggy; roots need air to breathe as well. Watering in the morning, when the sun hasn’t reached its peak, is a good way to minimize evaporation.
Water only when necessary, and always water the root zone, not the foliage. Wetting the leaves causes diseases to thrive, and wet foliage also slows down the growth of your healthy plants. Instead, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation to provide the right amount of water to your garden. This approach is also better for the environment and your wallet.
- Keep It Fertilized
Keeping your landscape fed with fertilizer is important to promote healthy plants. There are many different types of fertilizers, including organic and inorganic. It’s also important to know how much to use and when. Too much fertilizer can be harmful to your landscape and even deadly to your vegetables.
Regularly weed your garden to reduce the risk of damage. Overgrown weeds provide a hiding place for ticks and fleas, and attract pests that can damage vegetable crops. Keep pets and children away from the garden to avoid straying into it.
Plants that are heavy feeders (such as annuals, fruits, veggies, roses, and hydrangeas) benefit from being fed once a month during the growing season with a
general-purpose liquid fertilizer. Avoid over-fertilizing, as it can overwhelm the roots and cause excess foliage growth.
- Keep It Healthy
When you’re working in the garden, be sure to follow proper safety techniques. Accidents with gardening tools are a common reason people visit the emergency room, so make sure you and anyone who will be helping you in the garden knows how to handle your tools correctly. Just like it is important to have a kitchen appliance warranty to protect your appliances for repairs, your home and landscaping is just as important. To keep it healthy and thriving, maintenance is important.
Also, be careful when watering. Many diseases thrive in the moist conditions of gardens, and using watering methods that minimize moisture on plant leaves will limit their growth.
When it comes to your soil, be sure to work with it when it is dry; working wet soil damages its structure. This is particularly true for sandy or loamy soils. Cleanup in the fall is also a good way to ward off diseases that overwinter on dead plant material.
- Keep It Safe
Gardening is a relaxing and rewarding hobby, but it can also be dangerous. From sharp tools and dangerous chemicals to stinging insects and heat-related illnesses, there are a lot of things that can go wrong while you’re working in the garden.
Make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from cuts, soil and irritants. Take a warm-up walk before gardening, and use good posture to prevent back injuries. Changing tasks often helps reduce the amount of time you spend in one position, and using a knee pad can help to reduce strain on your back even more.
Protect your plants from animal damage by installing a wire fence around the garden. This will deter herbivores, and help your plants to bounce back quicker from grazing damage.