The best part about gardening is planting and harvesting.

But what about what happens in between those two things? Maintenance. While maintenance may not be as glamorous as planting or harvesting, it is just as important. Even a small vegetable garden can produce loads of veggies if it is properly and regularly maintained. Gardens that are well maintained are healthier and more productive. 

There are ways to keep your kitchen garden low maintenance, but in general there are a few things we should all be doing regularly in the garden.

Here are 4 things You Should Be Doing in Your Kitchen Garden

Tending

This includes basic tasks like weeding and watering. It’s also important to be regularly checking your plants for signs of pests and diseases. The earlier these things are caught, the easier they are to address.

Pruning

There are three reasons to prune in the garden. First, you can prune for space, i.e. thinning plants. By doing this you are giving the plants the space they need to thrive.

Second, you’ll want to prune for health. For example, you can prune off growth that is affected by pests and diseases. This keeps the plant happy and healthy.

Finally, you can prune for production. This means you’ll prune off extra growth so the plant can focus more on producing. 

Feeding

This happens in a couple of different ways. First, you want to feed or amend your soil to keep it healthy. You can do this by adding compost and soil amendments. The second way to feed your garden is to fertilize your plants during different stages of development. You can fertilize for leaf growth and fruit growth. 

Supporting

Sometimes plants need support too. Vegetables like tomatoes, peas, and cucumbers need to be trellised. You can also stake certain plants for light support and to keep them from falling over.

There you have you it. The four things you should be doing regularly in order to have a healthy and thriving kitchen garden.

Ready to get your kitchen garden set up? Avoid the stress and overwhelm and get your kitchen garden set up the right way, the first time. Seed and Vine will take care of the hard work for you so you can enjoy the process and confidently grow in your thriving kitchen garden.

Happy growing!