Gardening Tips and Tricks

Spring is here, which means planting is in full swing! While some people are just naturally born with a green thumb, others get nervous at the thought of planting a garden and keeping their plants alive. I’ve been planting a garden with my grandma ever since I was very young, and I still go to her with questions! Here are a few basic tips my grandma taught me:

• Time it right. Use a frost calculator to estimate when the last spring frost will be and when the first frost of the fall will be in your area so you don’t plant too early and clean up the garden before the first frost.

• Watch the weather! Especially in Wisconsin, we know the weather can be unpredictable. If it’s going to be extra hot and dry, make sure to give your plants some extra water (in the morning, before the heat of the day evaporates it!)  If it’s going to freeze overnight, cover your plants with sheets, blankets, towels, etc. to keep from freezing.
• Location is key; plants need about six hours of sunlight per day to thrive, so make sure to find a sunny location for your garden. Another thing to consider is keeping it close to your house and in eyesight, so it doesn’t slip your mind to take care of it. Ideally, a water source would be close to the garden so that you don’t have to haul loads of water back and forth.

• Alternate plant beds. Each year after planting the garden, I make a drawing of the garden and fill in where I planted each thing. I alternate the areas in which I plant something each year so that the soil stays rich with the nutrients that each plant needs. 

Find some plants or flowers that you like (that grow well in your location) and have fun with it! You learn something new each year!