Digging into Spring with a Veggie Garden Reset

The smell of earth….mmmm, the feel of dirt on your hands and the hope for a better tomorrow.

My gardens are my sanctuary. That’s where I go to be grounded and to become inspired.

I’ve been gardening since I was 21 years old. I’m not a master gardener by any means but I’ve learned some tricks over the years that have served me well. Are you new to gardening? Have you dabbled before and felt like something was just not quite right? I’ve been there too. Here are a few ways to improve your yield and find joy in your garden again.

Soil Matters

No matter what anyone says, the soil does matter. I’ve personally lived where the soil was clay based and as hard as a rock. I’ve lived where the base was sandy and unstable. I’ve pulled my share of weeds (my nemesis) and cried over poor quality yields. The key for me that made all the difference was finding a soil that offered nutrients, a soft texture and the ability to adapt. Using organic garden soil from a landscape nursery and dry fertilizer was key. No more nasty bags of dirt from the big box store companies that have zero nutrients in it. Think wholesome and pure. Turning over the soil in spring and adding compostable materials such as ground up leaves, sand and fresh soil to top off any level discrepancies help. Each year the compostable materials decay, lowering your soil levels.

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Containers Make All The Difference

If you want to spend your summer harvesting produce and enjoying the scents of the garden then I encourage you to seek a container solution. I know, these are not old school farming methods, but I’m a city girl with limited gardening space. Using a container has allowed me to companion plant, avoid unnecessarily large areas where weeds can grow and this method has allowed me to plant the produce I want to harvest versus wondering if what’s growing is a weed or not. These Vego raised garden beds have made all the difference for me and my back! They are modular and can be created into the right shape for your space.

Companion Planting

I find this technique to be a game changer for many reasons. NO weeds! Yippee! Or very minimal amounts of weeds depending on the time of the season. Planting friendly varieties together has helped to maximize my space in my gardens and offer rich companion nutrients that my plants crave from each other. If you are new to companion planting see my free printable for ideas on how to maximize your growing season.

Adding a Worm Haven (aka Compostable Area)

This idea is fascinating to me. Why, well worms are so good for the soil. Follow me here on this idea because I swear by this method. We added small metal garbage cans to our raised beds. They were metal wire with holes on all sides, even the bottom. We used these garbage cans all summer to add our personal vegetable peels or discarded food compost to. Each garden bed received a dozen night crawlers in early spring. These worms ate our discarded food remains and put that nutrient rich food back into my garden through their waste. My gardens were strong and rich and I had very little to do with it. I left all the hard work up to my worm friends. Investing in these little cans was very inexpensive. Be sure to find metal with holes for longevity. We found ours at Dollar Tree and the small investment served us well. We did construct a tiny cover for our compost bins made from a terracotta saucer, you can see one in use in the photo above.

Rain Barrels Make Life Easier

A few years ago we invested in a hard side rain barrel. It works for all of my container veggie gardens and for my potted flower pots too. The rain barrel resides directly under my down spout off of my garage and works for all of my watering needs. We adjusted our height by placing the barrel onto concrete blocks. This adjustment allows me to fit my watering cans below the spigot for ease when filling. We also added a metal mesh screen in the top of the barrel to help catch any debris such as leaves, maple tree helicopters and lose asphalt shingle particles. This mesh screen helps to divert unfavorables from my water barrel. Cleaning it off is easy, just rinse with a hose or discard directly into the garbage. Interested in adding a barrel to your garden? You can find these without the raised stand, it will save you a few dollars, but if you want to fit your watering cans beneath the spigot having a raised barrel is so worth the investment and you’ll be glad you did!

No Harsh Chemicals Allowed

My goal to transform my tiny garden space into something wonderful included no nasty chemicals that could make us ill. NO Round-up or toxic weed killers. Instead, we practice a safe method we call “happy spray”. Our recipe can be found here. It’s very simple. Salt, Vinegar, Dish Soap. The end. It’s the best. A simple hand spraying bottle works perfect for directing your spray directly at the roots of your weeds. I hope this recipe helps you keep your garden spaces weed free and healthy all summer long.

Planting For My Zone

Ever wonder why things don’t do well or come back? It could be your zone. Depending on where you live in the country your herbs may or may not return. We are zone 4-5 (in Wisconsin) and we have harsher winters so planting based on my zone makes all the difference. Check out your area to ensure you are buying the correct seedlings for your zone and/or are planting at the correct temperatures for your area. Planting too early can stunt the growth and kill plants. Planting too late can have a late season harvest that can be difficult to deal with if you’re not prepared.

Have A Plan For Your Produce

How do you plan to use your crops, for personal consumption? To bless others? Do you freeze or can your harvest or make batch recipes? Knowing what you intend to do with your harvest is very important.

Once I planted 8 tomato plants thinking I would do sauces, salsa and freeze my fruit. Ha! What I found was a garden exploding with harvest during the busiest fall sports season my family had ever experienced. With four children in fall sports on four different teams at two different schools (high school and middle school) and I was the chauffeur and about ready to lose my mind. My evenings were full and I had not a spare minute in the evenings to tackle my recipes outside of my work schedule. Every weekend seemed to be another tournament and well, the days just got away from me. 

I share that funny story because I was not prepared for 8 tomato plants to yield so much and I did not have the time or mental capacity to deal with it. We blessed a lot of people that season. So, manage your expectations the best you can. Have some easy recipes, and their coordinating ingredients written on a grocery list for ease. Have your canning jars washed and ready. Reserve a day (or more) in your schedule where you will do nothing but prepare from your harvest. You’ll thank me later.