Growing Bigger

You've successfully grown a few pots of plants or have a little plot in the yard that's done well and now you're ready to up your game. There are many ways to scale-up without going too crazy and overwhelming yourself. One of the biggest reasons gardens fail is that people try to do too much and the weeds, pests, watering, harvesting, etc. can get to be too much. Don't fall into that trap. Planning a garden in the spring when you've got cabin fever and are pouring over all the beautiful seed catalogs is kind of like going to the grocery store hungry! You want it all and it all seems so doable, but try to be realistic about how you're going to feel when it's hot and the garden needs work, or the weeds get a little too big, or you want a (gasp!) vacation!

The same advice applies to expanding a garden as it does to starting one, keep it simple. Adding a few pots, a large patio planter or a bit bigger in-ground plot is probably the wisest path. Define what you want to grow based on what you most enjoy eating, looking at or both. Make a list and then narrow it down based on your priorities and the following characteristics: disease/pest resistance, drought tolerance, taste or beauty, size of mature plants, unusual qualities not often found (purple carrots, for example), harvest schedule, need for trellising or staking. Use this list to choose those flowers or crops that best fit your schedule and your life. For example, do you really want to have to buy and install trellises?

Once you've got your list, decide if you'll be growing from seed, purchased plants or both. Fedco catalog, Seeds of Change, etc. A combination of both can often produce the best results, as some plants take too long to grow from seed, like tomatoes, peppers and cabbage, for example.

Mulching your garden will save you time weeding and watering and keep diseased soil off your plants. For vegetable gardens, a thick (2") layer of straw around plants and between rows is inexpensive and very effective. Straw is available from local farms (try Google) or at many garden centers. I like to put several layers of non-glossy newspaper under the straw for maximum weed blockage. For container gardens I like the fine texture of coca shell mulch. Larger decorative gardens, have many mulch options, including stone, wood chips and rubber chips. Be sure to put the mulch on thick (several inches deep), or else the weeds will easily grow up through and be very hard to handle.

With bigger gardens comes more time and energy watering your plants. Most container gardens will need watered daily. But in-ground gardens can be watered once a week or as needed depending on weather and soil conditions. Don't underestimate how much time watering will take as you expand your garden, as this task can easily take excessive amounts of time.

Be sure to take into account how often your flowers will need deadheaded (remove spent flowers to keep them blooming) or your crops harvested. Certain crops, like green beans, will need harvested daily. Others will only be harvested once per season, like cabbage or beets.

Weed early, weed often. Weeds are much easier to tackle while small. Pull or use a hoe right around plants and use a bigger stirrup-style hoe between plants and rows. Plants in containers will need relatively little weeding, but still occasionally get an unwanted visitor or two.

Following these thoughtful steps will help ensure that you don't get in over your head (and that the weeds don't, too!). The work of putting in your garden is only a minor fraction of the time you'll need throughout the season. Keeping your plan manageable will make your gardening much more enjoyable and stress-free.

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