During the COVID-19 pandemic, gardening became all the rage. With nothing but time and nowhere to go, many of us poured our energy into work inside and outside the home. About 18 million Americans started gardening in 2020, according to the National Gardening Bureau. And Americans are now investing about $48 billion in lawn and gardening equipment each year.
But still, not everyone’s garden is growing as beautifully as they’d like.
The good news: With summer just around the bend, there’s still plenty of time for you to create a gorgeous garden you’ll be proud to show off—one that can also produce a delicious and healthy haul of fruits and vegetables.
We reached out to experienced gardeners and experts who shared their tips for revitalizing and rejuvenating your vegetable gardens in just a few days.
Step 1: Remove all weeds
- Weeds can crowd out the vegetables that you want to grow.
Weeds are often viewed as an eyesore by gardeners, and while that’s true, their impact on your overall garden’s health and vitality can go beyond the superficial.
“I always tell gardeners to start by removing weeds,” says Katie Krejci, a dietitian, homesteader, and founder of The Homesteading RD. “Weeds steal nutrients from the vegetables that you want to grow, and they can also physically crowd them out, especially when they’re just getting started.”
If your space is limited, Krejci recommends pulling out the weeds by hand. If the weed is large, you should use a weeding tool such as a hula hoe ($32.50, Amazon).
Step 2: Mulch
- Mulching is probably the easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to revitalize a neglected garden.
You wouldn’t put a child to bed without a snug blanket, right? The same thinking goes for nascent produce. Mulch prevents weeds from coming in, keeps soil at a steadier temperature during sudden chills and heat spikes, and protects seedlings and soil from diseases and pests.
“Mulching is probably the easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to revitalize a neglected garden,” says Seattle-based Kate Russell, author of “Stop Wasting Your Yard!” and owner of The Daily Garden blog. “You can get mulch from your local tree trimmer. It will provide you with a fresh palette from which to start, while protecting your soil, feeding essential microorganisms, and keeping plants healthy.”
Step 3: Test the soil
- Test your soil to assess its pH level, texture, and nutrient makeup.
Next up, put your soil to the test. As strange as it might sound, testing soil to assess its pH, texture, and nutrient levels is essential if you want to grow a healthy crop of vegetables this year.
“A lab-based soil test will tell you what’s really there,” says Russell. “All too often, gardeners keep adding fertilizer without knowing if it’s actually needed. It’s one of those ‘too much of a good thing can be a bad thing’ situations. Nutrient toxicities can be worse than deficiencies, and they are more difficult to correct.”
You can buy soil test kits ($16.28, Amazon) online with complete instructions and information on desired levels of nutrients and pH.
Once you have your results, Russell recommends going to your local garden store to ask for advice on fertilizers, composts, and appropriate plants for your garden. Bonus points if you bring a picture of your garden space and can share information on how many hours of sun your plot gets on a typical day.
Step 4: Replenish the nutrients
- Don’t forget the compost.
If you detect imbalances in your soil, you can purchase amendments. Soil amending is the process of adding material to the soil to make it more hospitable for your plants. The most common amendments are compost, wood chips, grass clippings, and pea gravel.
Krejci is a strong advocate for compost.
“You definitely want to add a 2-inch layer of compost to the top of your garden bed and mix it in,” Krejci says. Incorporate the compost with a rake, and water until the soil is moist.
Step 5: Plant
- Get advice from your local nursery on what you can plant now in your area.
Now comes the fun part: planting! Because it’s late in the season, get advice from your local nursery on what you can plant now in your area and still harvest this summer.
Classic short-season vegetables that thrive in most climates include herbs, lettuces, greens like kale and Swiss chard, radishes, carrots, bush beans, and turnips.
More than one-third of U.S. households grow vegetables and fruit, so if you’re part of that group of avid gardeners, we hope you now feel like you have the tools to make 2022 your most bountiful harvest season yet.
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