Three Gardening Tasks I Do Every Week
I’m a leader, so when I see a problem, I want to fix it—immediately. The problem with gardening is that it can cause you to shift other priorities and ultimately burn out. On Friday I shared three challenges I tackle every day in the garden to ensure I can get in and out in a short amount of time (this will depend on the size of your garden). It’s hard to keep myself from doing everything that needs to be done, and if I’m not careful, I can get distracted by having to weed out sweet peas or sweep the garden paths. Remembering that some tasks are done weekly and therefore don’t need to be tackled until the weekend (or whatever day you designate) helps me stay on task and keep the garden moving forward.
Once a week I throw pruners , loppers , gloves , some antibacterial tool spray , tomato clips , garden Velcro and any other clips I need, plus fertilizer in a wheelbarrow or garden bag and head out to the garden. I grab the seeds I plan to sow one at a time and put them in my pocket. And this is what I do:
Adjust the grates
I have a lot of trellises and a lot of plants grow on them. For items like tomatoes, they may need to be trimmed and secured to the trellis, so I do this weekly. I spend a little time making sure the beans cling to the trellises and not each other, making sure the trellises are trimmed and moving in the right direction by adjusting the clamps. I weave nasturtiums through the panel for the cattle to keep them growing – same with pumpkins and squashes. Taking a little time to pay attention to all your grates once a week will help you stay on top of the task at hand.
This will already require some pruning, so take the time to prune everything that needs it. My berry shoots are ridiculous at this time of year and have to be trimmed weekly. I remove flowers that need it and spend time on wilted shrubs like lilacs and peonies, and keep an eye on elder trees that are about to start bearing fruit. All trimmed greens go into the wheelbarrow unless they look diseased, then go straight into the trash.
reseed
The seeds I sow in succession I keep by the door and put in my pocket: radishes, carrots, green onions, lettuce and turnips. That way, when I get to the right bed, I just take them out of my pocket and sow what I want. This ensures that seeding occurs frequently.
Fertilize
I like to apply a fish emulsion fertilizer once a week (I stick firmly to the garden by saying, “once a week, weak.” I hook up to a hose and walk around in circles, making sure the water is concentrated at the roots of the plants). not on plants unless it is a foliar spray. Depending on the plant, I may add additional additives. For example, my corn is treated with blood meal (pure nitrogen) once during the summer. Tomatoes receive CalMag every few weeks. I just go around and treat whatever needs it, but almost all of my plants generally get life from the fish emulsion, although that’s on top of the slow release fertilizers and any specialty fertilizers I use when planting.
Check water systems
I’m always frustrated by how quickly problems can arise in an irrigation system, and you tend to only notice it when your plants tell you about it. This time of year I test the water once a week. I go through each water zone of the drip system and walk around listening for leaks (you can hear them) and just looking at the furthest beds to make sure the water is still getting to them. This has the added benefit of lightly watering fertilizers and seeds. You don’t need a full cycle for each zone, just enough time to check it.
Take on one additional task
A garden is a living organism, so something always needs to be done. The fountain needs repairs, the tree needs trimming, or the garden bench looks a little wobbly. The fruits need to be covered, otherwise you want to plant a bed, you can sweep the paths or take care of the edge. Don’t take on too many of them, choose one thing. Do another one next week.
After finishing the tasks, empty your wheelbarrow into the compost and look around. If you follow the plan, the garden should be well maintained and hopefully you won’t feel overwhelmed.