One of the activities that many have taken up since lockdown has been gardening. This hobby is usually viewed as quite time-consuming, and whilst some upfront investing is required (both in terms of time and money) the rewards tangible and intangible rewards are very attractive.
For many, the idea of gardening is not overly attractive as it is viewed as quite difficult, particularly for the newcomer, often making them leave their tools aside, and forgetting the whole idea. Many also think that a big garden is required to properly achieve adequate healthy plants. Both of these ideas are incorrect. It is simple and objective when you look at it, as there are several plants you could grow with relative ease.
However, some gardens deal with problems caused by soil that’s too wet, leading to the growth of moss. Moss likes soil that’s shady, compact, acidic, and always wet. Too much moss can compete with other plants for nutrients and space, and it shows there are problems with how well the soil drains, which can harm plant roots.
To get rid of moss, let more sunlight reach the garden and improve how air circulates. Loosen up compacted soil and add lime to make it less acidic. You can either pull the moss out by hand or use chemicals like viano mo bacter to kill it. Alternatively, applying a mixture of water and dish soap (2 ounces of dish soap in a gallon of water) can aid you in killing moss. By taking care of the soil, you can control moss and make your garden lush again.
Gardeners also face challenges with slugs, which can harm plants. Slugs are a problem because they eat young plants and different kinds of plants, damaging leaves and fruits. It’s important to control slugs to keep the garden healthy. One natural solution is to use nematodes, tiny living things that are already in the soil. You can find nematodes in products like Nemaslug by Green Gardener or other companies. This natural method not only helps with slug problems but also keeps the garden’s overall health and balance, supporting eco-friendly gardening.
Now that you have taken all the necessary precautions pertaining to soil, it would be great to take out your gardening equipment. Got old sprinklers you can fix and use? Look up “sprinkler repair near me” and consider getting it fixed. Does the old shovel need to be replaced? Drive down to your local hardware store and get yourself one. Once you have your equipment ready to use, consider buying seeds for these 5 great beginner plants to invest in for your garden planter.
- Salad leaves
If you are looking to get more bang for your buck when it comes to your salads, planting various salad leave varieties is a great place to start. These work well in a teak garden planter as you have greater control over the soil.
Plant these seeds in the summer and your garden planter will be full of leaves ready for harvest within three weeks. This is a great way to test your gardening abilities with a quick turn around and the plants will produce salad leaves until late autumn. If you do use a teak garden planter for this vegetable, make sure you keep an eye on the weather as you will not have the benefit of good soil drainage and the salad leaves could become flooded.
- Peas
If you want to plant some vegetables in your garden planter that require little maintenance, peas are a bit of a no-brainer. These versatile crops need planting in March to June and can be harvested around 2-3 months after. SMake sure you support these vegetables with canes in your garden planter. These peas will blow any frozen supermarket brand out of the water!
- Runner beans
Runner beans are another great plant to add to your garden planter if you are looking for some stress-free gardening. These crops need to be sowed from April to July ready for harvest 2 months after planting. As with peas, make sure you use a cane or support frame to give these plants the direction they need. When tending to your garden planter, make sure you keep these plants well-watered throughout the summer months.
- Tomatoes
These are some of the most popular vegetables to plant in the spring. These plants also require a little more room to consider that when deciding whether or not to get them for your garden planter. These crops need to be sowed in the garden planter from February to April, ready to be harvested from July to October.
Get a good garden planter and soil for your crops
The environment that the vegetables are grown in is just as important as regular sunlight and watering. Make sure you keep on top of the basics and invest in good compost/soil to go in a good garden planter. This will increase the chances of you having a fruitful harvest!
