Now for the garden maintenance which will determine whether you will have a good harvest.  It’s a topic nobody likes to deal with, but if you don’t it will destroy all your efforts for a vegetable garden.  I’m referring to weed control!  Weed seeds exist in the soil of all gardens and can be spread by wind, water, animals and birds.  I have seen where an old concrete slab was removed and within a short time the dormant seeds that had been there about 50 years,began to grow.  They NEVER die!   

One of the most common causes of garden failure is letting the weeds and grass get a head start.  Cultivation at the right time is a basic rule of success.  Cultivating lets oxygen get to the tiny microorganisms at work in the soil.  They will decompose the organic matter in the ground, releasing nutrients which the plants can use.  Cultivating once a week or so creates a dust mulch, which will hold moisture in the ground.  You should begin to cultivate the soil as soon as your seedlings appear above the ground.  This is when they really need it.

As you cultivate, remember that you should hoe, till, or scratch just the surface of the soil because so many plants have shallow feeder roots.  Pull any weeds that aren’t removed by hoeing and the weeds within a row of plants.  Weeds steal moisture and plant food from the vegetables.  A garden filled  with weeds will  yield just about half as much as a well-kept garden.

Have you considered an organic vegetable garden (organic means to grow fruit and vegetables without relying on synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or fertilizer)?  Organic is the safest choice for you and the environment.  Organic foods are expensive to buy but not if you grow them.  Going organic in your vegetable garden is easier than you might expect and the yields you can obtain may surprise you.  There are many organic web sites with information regarding what to use for weed and insect control.

One important thing to remember: Don’t plant a garden that is too big for you to properly care for.  The weeds will get the best of you if you don’t have time to do the weeding.  Been there, done that!!   Happy gardening.