GARDEN

These simple gardening tips can drastically improve your garden

Alison Sherwood

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Megan Cain grows colorful peppers in her garden.

Madison gardening writer and educator Megan Cain has learned a lot in her 16 years of gardening and farming experience. Her newest book, "Smart Start Garden Planner: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Season," helps gardeners and wannabe gardeners plan for success in their gardens.

In a phone interview, Cain shared these tips that can help beginner gardeners get off to a good start.

1. Browse seed catalogs instead of running to the hardware store.

Paging through seed catalogs at home, you have plenty of time to think through what seeds you want to purchase and read up on the different varieties available.

"You're not going to stand there (at the hardware store) for two hours and read every packet," Cain said. "At the store it's easy to get overwhelmed and throw things in your basket you haven't thought through."

Cain notes in "Smart Start Garden Planner" that big box stores don't always carry the varieties that will grow well in your region.

"I want to order seeds from the places that the farmers are ordering from," Cain said. One brand she recommends that is used by farmers is Johnny's Selected Seeds.

Ordering from seed catalogs helps you think through your garden choices intentionally and provides a wide selection of high quality seeds.

2. Start a garden binder.

Save yourself time each year by keeping simple records of what, where and when you plant everything in your garden.

"You can compare varieties. It helps you repeat successes and build on them year after year," Cain said. "It helps with timing. If you keep track of dates you know when the right time is to plant every year."

Draw a simple map of your garden and label what plant or variety you plant in each spot and when you plant it. Keep your planting schedule in your garden binder and any gardening information you want to keep handy.

3. Mulch your garden.

The key to maintaining moisture in your garden? Mulch.

"Bare soil dries out really quickly and grows weeds," Cain said.

You can use hay, straw, leaves or grass clippings to mulch around your plants. Cain uses marsh hay. Just be sure your mulch does not have weed seeds in it.

Mulching your garden helps maintain moisture in the soil.

4. Get a rain gauge.

Vegetables, once they germinate, need only one inch of water each week. Keep a rain gauge in your garden so you know when you don't need to water.

"Watering every day can contribute to problems like diseases," Cain said. She waters her garden once a week unless it rains about an inch, which is usually the case until July and August.

5. Rotate your crops.

Cain said for the health of the soil, you don't want to plant the same thing in the same spot every year. There's another reason it's handy to keep a garden binder tracking where you plant everything.