Summer Vegetable Guide
Ah summer, a time when you can sit back, watch your garden grow, and wait for the harvest to roll in. Right? Not quite. While a vegetable garden doesn’t have to be high maintenance, there are a few summer tasks you can do to encourage healthy growth and maximum yield.
FEED
I like to say that I “feed my soil,” not “fertilize my plants.” Why? I use organic fertilizers, which are derived from natural ingredients and broken down by the microorganisms in the earth. It’s these hardworking microscopic creatures that make the nutrients available to my plants.
A smart soil-feeding regime starts in early spring with an application of organic matter like compost or aged manure. During the growing season I also rely on granular and liquid organic fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers can be made from a single type of plant, manure, animal or mineral ingredient or can be a combination. They’re slower to release their nutrients than synthetics but provide a longer, steady feed. They also improve soil structure, feed soil microbes, and are less likely to burn plants than synthetic products.
When I prep my garden beds for planting in spring,
