Tending The Young Garden

Thinning

When seeding is used to begin a garden, often we use more seeds than we actually need. We certainly expect some seedlings to die and we also expect some simply not to open for whatever mysterious reasons. Thus, in a seeded garden, we can spend some time as these small green shoots pop up by separating them. By planting an overabundance of seeds, we find we will need to simply delete some of those that will obviously later crowd out those designated to grow. There is only a passing interest in selecting which plants to winnow. Typically, once they "take" they will each do as well as the other. Look more for the proper distance than anything else. Once you have a proper distance, then you are set along the path of nurturing those remaining into a harvest able crop.

Nurturing

Next we are fully embarked on our gardening adventure. From this point on, we will be developing our plants into the robust and delicious delights we had hoped for. What we now face is the pleasure and fascination of watching these babies of ours grow into fully-developed plants and vegetables fit for our tables and those of our friends and families. While the chores are constant and varied from this point on, we may rest assured we are off on the road to the Big Harvest finish line.

Important considerations at this time are watering and pest and disease awareness. Every year we hear of someone who had an infestation of something or other which ruined parts or even all of their garden. Vacations are severely vulnerable times for a garden when we entrust them to others in our absence, particularly regarding the onset of diseases. Where we may have a great line on how fast things are growing and we may be aware of every small ripple in the rhythm of our garden, such a subtle sense is not had by anyone else. What I am really saying is to make sure everything is moving along before you take off.

Equally important is the awareness of insect life suddenly materializing around our precious plantings. Aphids and fruit flies - indeed, any number of possible critters and bugs can ruin all our work without attention being paid, and the earlier the better. I will address remedies for these problems elsewhere but it is really important that we do pay attention. Sometimes a week is all it takes to render a garden useless in the cases of aphid infestations or cutworms. There is, however, one very important way to combat any infestation and that is to have an abundantly healthy growth. The stronger the plant, the more able to resist these maladies and the sooner they may opt to leave. A healthy plant also makes the remedy easier as well, requiring less strenuous measures. So, by all means, pay attention when possible. A little awareness of what is possible can prepare one well indeed for problems when they arise.