Maintaining Your Garden
Maintaining your garden is one of the most important steps in keeping your lot next door looking great! Different kinds of gardens, depending on what you put into your garden, can have different levels of maintenance in order to keep it looking good and functioning to its fullest. Make sure you think about how much maintenance you want to put into your garden before designing and building your garden. These are a few strategies to use to keep your garden looking beautiful:
- PRUNING
Pruning is the act of removing dead, crowded, diseased or undesirable limbs, leaves, and buds from plants. Ornamental grasses, evergreen trees, deciduous trees, shrubs, hedges, and so on all require different pruning methods. Use garden shears to make pruning easier.
- WATERING
Water is essential, especially when your garden is initially planted. Be prepared to water your garden every day when it is first installed. One deep watering (4-6”) is much better than watering several times a day. Avoid planting in the summer (June – September) in New Orleans when it is too hot and in the winter (December – February) when there are possible cold periods.
- FERTILIZING
Fertilizers are a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that provide nutrients for plant health and growth. Fertilizer is predominantly used on lawns 1-2 times per year and applied no more than 1lb per 1,000 square feet. Choose a lawn fertilizer that is very low in phosphorus or organic so as not to pollute waterways.
- WEEDING
Weeds take up valuable space in your garden and compete with other plants for nutrients, water, and sunlight. In New Orleans weeds grow fast! Try to pull out the entire root system and throw them away before they take over. Lay down filter fabric
under mulched planting beds or gravel areas to prevent weeds from growing. Homemade soap and vinegar recipes are another option for killing weeds. Be sure to keep any pulled weeds out of your compost!
- PEST CONTROL
Organic pesticides, beneficial bugs and plants can all contribute to pest control. Avoid using chemical pesticides on your lawn and garden to ensure the health of your family and pets. Ladybugs and Praying Mantis are beneficial bugs that eat pests.
Marigolds, Basil, Nasturtiums, Petunias, and Chrysanthemums are plants for repelling pests. You can make your own organic pesticides out of everyday products such as soapy water,Tabasco sauce, garlic and salt.