10 Tips for Healthy Crops

10 Tips for Healthy Crops

1. Know each crop’s spread - Space plants accordingly to their natural spread to precent pests and diseases caused by overcrowding.
2. Clear weeds - overgrown weeds and grasses, near garden beds and fruit trees, attract pests. Pull weeds four months before summer (by February) before the weeds make their spring flowers and seeds which will make it all worse.
3. Water at the crown (base) of each plant -  Wet leaves make plants susceptible to mold and other diseases. Water in the morning in fall through spring as watering at night in colder months encourages mold and other diseases. Water at night in summer to ensure plants have enough time to absorb the water.
4. Add compost to sick plants as a first defense against pests and illness - Pests are attracted to weak plants and plants can only be as strong as the soil they are planted in. Soil is a plant’s immune system. Keep your soil rich by adding compost every fall.
5. Plant crops in appropriate soil - Some plants prefer rich moist soil while others prefer rocky dry soil.
6. Practice companion planting - Take advantage of plant guilds for natural pest control. Some of my favorite plant guilds are:

• Strawberries, beans, spinach;
• Roses, alyssum, lavender;
• Corn, squash, beans;
• Sunflowers, cucumber;
• Tomato, basil, oregano;
• Cabbage, petunias, onion, chamomile;
• Carrots, chamomile;
• Blueberries, rosemary, thyme.

7. Wait until fall to transplant and propagate - Fall is ideal because it is cool enough to avoid drying out your new plants as newly transplanted plants need more water than established ones. Fall is also a world away from summer which gives plants plenty of time to grow and establish new roots.

8. Know your area's US Agricultural Zone - Choose the best varieties of the crops for your zone. You can grow almost anything if you know your zone and the planting calendar for your zone too.

9. Mulch by late spring - Mulch slows down the evaporation process of water and keeps summer plants hydrated, happy, and healthy.

10. Respect your garden't natural biodiversity - Avoid pesticides and planting a few edible herbs which attract beneficial insects and pollinators. 

The symbiotic relationships in my garden: with 

• Earth worms are my garden's best friend; they add nourishment, keep the soil from compacting, and promote drainage.
• Hummingbirds eat the mosquitos and pollinate my plants.
• Frogs eat the buggies and croak nice songs.
• Dill attracts lady bugs which eat the aphids on my roses and cabbage.
• Bees pollinate everything and bring my garden to life.
• Spiders eat the flies and the birds eat all the bugs.
• Birds sing and bring me joy.
• I care for my garden and share its gifts with my loved ones, and the circle of life continues in this garden world of ours.

Related Posts

5 Reasons to Say No to Tilling

Companion Planting With Flowers

Attract Beneficial Insects

Organic Pest Control