Growing fruits and vegetables can seem like a large investment for a very small reward if your plants don’t produce well. In fact, many foods you love may seem way overpriced for the risk that your yield will be low. So, how to cut down on some of that worry? Simple! Understanding the needs of your plant and the easy ways you can set them up for success will allow you to maintain a healthy vegetable patch! Here’s a few tips and tricks for maximizing your plant yield and create a thriving and productive vegetable garden!
First, the best thing you can do for yourself is to have a plan. Many resources exist about companion planting, crop rotation and soil amendment so your plants have the best possible outcomes for becoming thriving crop producers. If the whole thing seems overwhelming start with the basics- watering, sunlight, and space.
Vegetable Success Tip #1: Watering
Different plants require different amounts of water so choosing your locations wisely can help maximize water resources for healthier, happier plants. Consider a ground-watering system like a drip irrigation kit to avoid damaging sun scald or mildew. Also consider early morning or evening waterings where you decrease sun scald risk and don’t lose your water to evaporation during the height of summer. Finally, water on a schedule! I can’t stress enough how many problems I ran into as a beginner simply because I was not watering routinely or paying attention to rainfall amounts!
Vegetable Success Tip #2: Sunlight
Different plants will require different amounts of direct sunlight exposure to thrive. While you will find most traditional garden crops do well in full sun, some do better in partial shade so placing them near a fence or other sun obstruction would still allow you to maximize that space and meet the sunlight needs of your plants. Another cool idea would be trellising plants so that partial-shade or full-shade crops grow beneath full-sun crops. I see many do this by growing lettuce below trellised cucumbers!
Vegetable Success Tip #3: Spacing
Next you want to consider those plants that will need space to expand in order to grow. Squash and melons require a lot of space to spread and grow large, nutrient catching leaves which feed the plant. Allow these plants adequate space to spread and, if your space is limited, explore ways to trellis them so that vertical space can be maximized. Additionally, beans and plants like tomatoes will require trellises and cages to support the plants as they grow. Researching how to prune your plants can be a great way to reduce overcrowding and aid plants in focusing their energy on fruit production! Woohoo for increasing efficiency while saving space!
Also…. Pollinators!
An additional concept to consider for a thriving vegetable garden would be the attraction of pollinating insects to your garden! Adding flowers, avoiding pesticides, and creating a suitable environment for key pollinators like bees will have a tremendous impact on your plant production, particularly for plants in the squash and melon families! A few well-placed marigolds can provide natural pest control for your garden and simultaneously act as an attraction for pollinators. Get your garden on the pollinator radar and you will see greater yields.
Concerned you might not have enough pollinators in your area? To explore how to hand-pollinate plants like squash and watermelon click here!
Some other important things to keep in mind:
- Weed often and intentionally! An overgrown garden is an invitation for pests and disease introduction
- Feed your food! I know it sounds weird but even simply providing nutrients from your leftover coffee grounds, eggshells, and composted material will go a long way in boosting the nutrients in the soil near your plant! The more nutrients you provide your plant, the more nutrient-dense the fruit output will be!
- Save. The. Seeds. Many experienced gardeners know to leave one or two early-season crops on the plant to ripen fully and then harvest for seeds for the following year. You can significantly reduce up-front costs by starting from last year’s seeds and especially starting them indoors to extend your growing season!
- For more ways to obtain cheap or even free garden plants check out the related post here!
Share Your Knowledge!
What are some of your tips and tricks for creating and growing a thriving vegetable garden? Do you have some of your favorite ways to feed your garden plants to provide extra nutrients? What are your go-to watering and space-saving garden ideas?
