Bits of Advice

Below are some bits of advice I've thought of while writing other blog posts, but didn't have a great place to include. Also, the purple-pink blooms here are blooms on a bee balm plant, which is a good tomato co-planter. Enjoy!

• When you’re transplanting something (like moving your tomatoes or peppers you’ve started indoors out to your garden), do it in the evening. The sun can be a stresser for unprepared plants, and they’ll do a lot better if they have a night to prepare and adjust to their new environment. They will also need to be watered fairly frequently to help them settle in.
• Also, when transplanting, throw in a sprinkle of Epsom salts. They have lots of minerals that will give your plants a good head start.
• When you harvest things from your garden, do it in the morning. The sun also leeches some nutrients out of the fruits, so they will be at their most nutrient-rich first thing in the morning.
• If you see any mildew growing on your plants, spray them with some milk.
• If you have a permanent garden spot, clean it up every fall – chop all the dying plants down to the soil and either take them to your compost to bring back in the spring, or work them into the soil then and there. If harmful insects move into your garden, they like to over-winter under your plants from the previous year. Clearing your plot will discourage this.
• Take notes on your garden: what you planted, when you planted it, when it sprouted, how much sprouted, any successes or failures you tried. Gardening is experimental; it will take learning from your mistakes to suit your garden to your environment.
• Get the most out of your garden by using everything you can. Once your cilantro has bolted, look forward to grinding up some of the seeds (coriander) in your Indian dishes. Before your beets are mature, pluck some greens, steam them up and add some salt. Try the ‘scape’ shooting out of your garlic. Use your marigold blooms to make a great skin product. Do a Google search on your plants to see what uses people have found for them.