Three Gardening Tasks I Do Every Day
“You must spend so much time in your garden” is the phrase I hear most often from pedestrians passing by my house. But while it is certainly seasonal and needs change from week to week, once my garden is set up for the summer I never spend more than an hour a day in it, and often much less. I’ve been practicing radical avoidance this summer and have been impressed with how well the garden is managing itself. I just go outside once a day and do these three things.
In the morning or at dusk, I take a walker , a five-gallon bucket , and clean pruning shears and walk around the garden, performing the following tasks:
1. Grass
As you move around the garden, collect stray weeds. They grow in garden beds, along garden beds, and in concrete cracks. Throw them into a bucket. If you do this every day or even most days, it won’t be a tedious job. Weeding can also mean winnowing the seedlings if you are growing radishes or carrots to ensure they are spaced correctly. I don’t use any special equipment, I just pull out the weeds with my hands, trying to get as many roots as possible. Shake off the weed to remove any stuck-on dirt before it ends up in the bucket.
2. Harvest
The fruits, vegetables and flowers in the garden change daily, so the best way to get the best of everything is to go out there often and look around. If you do this, you will also know what to expect so you can be prepared day to day so you can create a meal plan. The products fall into the tray and are ready to be delivered to your home. If you need to dispose of carrot greens or radish tops, you can do so outside and add them to a bin. Before you go in, you can rinse off everything in the pan with a hose—that’s why you need a pan rather than a basket.
3. Look for pests and problems
This is also your chance to identify any potential problems. If you see leaves that may have blight, fungus, or a virus on them, use pruning shears and trim them off. If the problem is severe enough, remove the plant completely. If you see pest damage, start turning over the leaves and looking for eggs to remove. Definitely remove pests as they appear. If you need to add Sluggo or foliar treatment to any plant, now is the time. A few notes: If you do need to cut or discard a plant, it should not go in the bin, but rather straight into the trash. Do not put diseased plants in compost, either at home or outside the city. Also, be sure to clean your hands and pruners after pruning/culling with antibacterial soap or spray.
There are other tasks you may encounter during your daily garden walk, but if they aren’t particularly time-consuming (like a leaky hose), you can save them for your weekly task list instead.