Posted on July 3, 2007 in Gardening Ideas
Committed gardeners get worried about the upkeep and maintenance of their garden while they are away holidaying. The cause for worry is genuine because gardens lacking care and attention may get ruined easily. So, what is the solution? Cancel the much-awaited vacation? Definitely not! You just need to ensure that your garden will not lose its beauty in your absence.
It just requires planning and readying oneself. You can go for holidays without feeling guilty of neglecting your garden. Rest assured there are ways to protect your garden from getting spoilt.
- Plan the schedule for your holiday Do not plan for a beach holiday when you know it’s time for your gorgeous tomatoes to turn ripe. You’ll miss picking up your own harvest and get terribly disappointed (I would, had I been in your shoes). The best time to go for a holiday is mid-summer. That is the time when spring vegetables have been picked and the summer veggies aren’t ripe enough to be picked.
- Plant your garden according to the time that best suits you If you already know you will be away during summer, and then start your garden only after you return so that it ripens and blossoms later – when you are back, refreshed with renewed energy and enthusiasm. This planning clicks with beans, tomatoes, capsicums and peppers.
- Harvest before you go for a vacation If you’re going to be away for a week or more, pick all your beans, including those that are too small. Beans, if allowed to mature, stop producing. Pick the beans so that they mature when you are away. The eggplant needs similar treatment. Peppers and tomatoes stay on the plant or fall to the ground without causing any harm to the plants. All female flowers from your squash plants should be picked before you decide to go for a holiday. The super-fast growth of zucchini into the size of a house is one of the most surprising things in the world.
- You can always take garden-fresh veggies with you, if you’re going over to your friends or family. They’ll simply love it.
- Do not leave the weeds alone Pull out any large weed. You surely don’t want weeds like triffids instead of flowers and veggies in your garden. And seasoned gardeners know that one full season of weed seeds, calls for more than seven years of weeding!
- Water in abundance Even if it rains before you go for your holiday, you should still water your plants healthily before you leave. A better still alternative is to set up an irrigation system with a timer. That takes care of watering your garden even in your absence.
- Apply mulch Mulch, known to store water and prevent the growth of weeds, should be applied at a thickness of 6 inches with moistened pea-straw. This should be done after the garden has been watered well. You can add some compost under the mulch for further improvement in the condition of your plants.
- Enjoy your holiday With all these precautions taken, you can leave your garden alone for a while.
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