Keep Your Garden Growing This Summer

Keep your yard healthy and your garden growing this summer with a little planning and a few pro tricks:

Conserve Water – Follow water conservation best practices. Many municipalities enact a watering ban during droughts to conserve water for essential uses, so if a lush lawn matters to you, consider installing a rainwater collection system.

Crowd Out Weeds – Watch out for gaps in your flowerbeds or thin patches in your lawn that will allow weeds to invade. The simplest way to keep weeds at bay is to crowd them out with a plentiful garden and a thick lawn.

Strengthen Roots – Encourage root growth by fertilizing garden plants on a regular schedule, avoiding drowning the roots by overwatering and planting where they receive adequate sunlight.

Partner Your Plants – Pair plants that have a symbiotic relationship together. For example, beans add nitrogen to the soil, so pair them with nitrogen-using plants like cucumbers and beets.

Natural Nutrition – Dig leaves and mulch into vegetable beds and use to cover exposed soil under trees and shrubs. Add nutrient-rich compost to vegetable gardens to help regenerate the soil.

Repel Pests – Include natural pest-repelling plants in your garden. Garlic, lavender and marigolds are well known for their ability to deter pests.

Build Shelter for Plants – Provide your more delicate plants with shelter from the blazing sun or harsh winds by strategically planting hedges and shade trees for protection.