How to improve your gardening skills
There are several ways to improve your gardening skills. Here are some tips:
- Plan your garden: Before you start planting, take some time to plan out your garden. Consider the types of plants you want to grow, the amount of space you have, and the amount of sunlight your garden receives.
- Document your microclimates in the area where you will be planting your garden, each plant requires different amounts of direct sunlight, so planting in the correct location is critical to growing a strong plant that produces a large crop.
- Read local gardening information about frost dates, and plants that are developed specifically for your growing conditions.
- Test your soil to know if it needs to have any additional amendments to provide adequate soil needs for the plants you are going to grow.
- Reach out to your local extension office to answer your gardening questions.
- Join a local gardening group such as groups on Facebook to learn from experienced gardeners.
- Start small: If you’re new to gardening, don’t try to take on too much at once. Start with a small garden and focus on a few plants at a time.
- Learn about your plants: Each plant has its own specific needs, so it’s important to learn about the plants you want to grow. Find out how much water and sunlight they need, what type of soil they prefer, and how often they need to be fertilized.
- Keep your garden clean: Regularly removing weeds and dead plants will help keep your garden healthy and thriving.
- Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try new things in your garden. Experiment with different types of plants, soil, and fertilizers to see what works best for you.
- Document monthly what you are seeing in your garden to help you the following year.
- Grow the vegetables that you and your family enjoy eating.
- Grow plants that are developed specifically for your climate, they usually have fewer issues with pests and diseases while producing a larger crop.
- Try new and different techniques in gardening to see which produces better results.
- Improve your garden soil by covering it with a mulch or a cover crop over the winter to prevent runoff, compaction, and the nutrients from being pushed deep in the soil beyond your roots.
- Reduce tilling the garden instead fork the garden to allow the soil to be full of life and able to support your plants growth and production of fruit.
What are the best free garden planners:
There are several free garden planners available online. Here are some of the best ones:
- Garden Planner Online: This free tool allows you to create a virtual garden by selecting the plants you want to grow and placing them in a grid. You can also add structures like sheds and greenhouses.
- Better Homes and Gardens Plan-A-Garden: This free tool allows you to design your garden using a drag-and-drop interface. You can add plants, structures, and other features to create a detailed plan.
- Vegetable Garden Planner: This free tool is specifically designed for vegetable gardens. It allows you to plan your garden by selecting the types of vegetables you want to grow and placing them in a virtual garden.
- Smart Gardener: This free tool offers a personalized garden plan based on your location, soil type, and the plants you want to grow. It also provides planting reminders and other helpful tips.
- Gardena My Garden: This free tool allows you to create a virtual garden by selecting the plants you want to grow and placing them in a 3D model. You can also add structures and other features to create a detailed plan.
How to Improve Your Gardening Knowledge
Contact your local extension offices for classes and to answer questions, they are very knowledgeable about your specific climate and growing conditions.
Contact your local extension offices to see if they conduct Master Gardener programs to allow you to get certified.
Join Facebook gardening groups to gain knowledge in gardening, you can look for general gardening groups or specific groups for what you are trying to grow.
Become a member of your local library to gain access to books, materials, and classes that are free of charge to learn about gardening.
Senior Centers typically offer classes on gardening that are free or inexpensive and will connect you with other gardeners and teachers with gardening skills to teach you how to improve your gardening knowledge and skills.
YouTube is a great tool that will show you firsthand how to do a specific gardening task without leaving your home.
I can attest to using all of these methods above to improve my gardening skills and have currently enrolled in Master Gardening classes to get my certification.
What can you learn?
How to grow a better garden based on your climate
What vegetables grow best in your climate
How to plant the vegetables to get the maximum harvest
How to Organically Garden using proven techniques
How to improve your soil conditions to benefit your plants
How to use companion plants to reduce pests and diseases in your garden
Networking with other gardeners to improve your skills
