A garden should be where the best is yet to come.
In the fall, many gardeners are enthusiastic about their success
over the past growing season. Others aren’t so successful but are
just as enthusiastic about next year.
As every true gardener knows, next year is always going to be the
year. New plants will be available. Soil fertility will be much
better. Water will be plentiful. The weather will cooperate with
a long, cool spring and a mild, Georgia summer. And insects,
weeds and diseases will be nonexistent.
In gardeners’ minds this is all true. I think all of us are
eternal optimists.
How to Achieve It
How do you actually achieve that? Look at what you did this year
in the garden. It makes no difference whether you grow
perennials, vegetables, bulbs or whatever.
Soil is the key ingredient. Was the soil growing condition a
problem? You have from now to next season to work on digging,
amending and generally improving it for next year. For soil
improvement, think:
- Compost for organic matter.
- Manure for fertility and tilth.
- Raised beds with customized soil for problem areas or special
plants.
Water, Pests
Water is the No. 1 limiting factor in growth. Without it, nothing
happens in the plant. Nutrients aren’t taken up or moved within
the plant. For better water use, think:
- Drip irrigation.
- Xeriscaping.
Another important area to assess is the pest management strategy
you used this past season. I hope you identified the problems and
managed them in a most efficient way. For better pest management,
think:
- Plant selection for pest resistance.
- Frequent checking and early control.
- Weed control to reduce pest hiding places.
Thinking Cap
As Miss Thompson, my third-grade teacher, often said, “Put on
your thinking cap, and it will come to you.” How right she
was.
Get a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea and sit down, put on
that thinking cap and analyze the situation. Then take the action
needed to be the best gardener possible.
