Are you a professional or hobby farmer? Or perhaps you’re just an avid green thumb who loves to get outdoors and get their hands dirty in the garden? Whatever the case, it pays to have a great backyard to relax in that can also provide you with food as well. Whether it’s a bountiful veggie garden to supplement your pantry or a herb plot to inject some flavour into your meals it pays to practice some self-sustenance. Let’s take a look at a few things you can do to achieve the perfect outdoor paradise. By the end of this article, you’ll be raring and ready to jump straight into your pet farm!
Set up an Irrigation System
One way to save time and energy in your garden is to set up a sprinkler system with some irrigation controllers. The alternative is to hand water everything and while this may be fine for a small garden, for those with larger areas to water it can quickly become burdensome. An automated sprinkler and irrigation system will ensure that your crops get enough water to survive while freeing up your time to do more productive things like planting, weeding, digging and other activities.
Shade and More Shade
Depending on what you’re trying to grow, you may need full sun, partial shade or full shade. There are a few ways to achieve the perfect amount of shade but the best one is to invest in some shade sails. As well as providing the perfect protection for your green friends, they also make a nice ambience for if you ever want to entertain some real life friends in your outdoor space.
Companion Planting
Did you know that certain plants can benefit other plants if they’re planted near each other? For example, peas and beans convert nitrogen in the air into a form of nitrogen that can be used by other plants. Planting herbs near other plants as well can help to deter insects – as the strong smell from these fragrant shrubs can cause confusion in plant-devouring insects and cause them to fly away seeking other food. This type of strategic gardening is called companion planting. It’s worth reading up on this to learn more.
Keep Your Soil Healthy
The key to a booming garden is well aerated and fertilised soil. Before planting use a spade or a gardening fork to loosen the soil and get some air through it. Then it’s time to fertilise. You can purchase fertiliser from most leading hardware or home and garden stores. Or, you can make your own by mixing your lawn trimmings in a bucket with water and let it ferment until it becomes sludge. Then you can spread this mixture on your garden.
Keep the Weeds Down
Weeds take up valuable soil space and can choke the plants you actually want to grow. You’ll want to get out in the yard once a week at a minimum to pluck out the weeds as they can grow quite quickly. You can also hinder their growth by spreading mulch, newspaper or other substrate substances which weeds find hard to penetrate through.
To Sum it Up
To start with, set up an automated sprinkler or irrigation system to save time on watering. Install some shade if you’re growing certain fruits or vegetables that need to avoid the sun for best results. Investigate companion planting to give your plant friends a helping hand, and make sure to keep your soil healthy and well-fertilised. Finally, keep the weeds at bay by getting out there on the regular and getting your hands dirty pulling them up.
