Home Gardener’s
Weekly
Issue
No. 47
October
27, 2023
Weekly Garden Tip
Studies show that adding a 10-20% ratio of worm castings to your seedling mix is the ideal ratio to help give your plants a healthy start. You can also use this for your direct sowing by digging a double trench. Dig a trench where you’ll plant your seeds a little deeper than normal—about 2 inches deeper. Sprinkle a line of worm castings and compost, cover with a little soil, and then plant your seed row.
Can you learn to be a “Green Thumb” Grower? We believe that you can…with the right mindset and the right habits. Check out the first video in our Habits of a Green Thumb Grower series to begin developing your green thumb!
✅ Free Resource: Stage 1 Soil Checklist
Soil is the earth’s life force, and nature creates it…well, naturally. However, for us, it can seem rather complex. There is so much to know, and science has barely scraped the surface of what is actually going on below the ground. Luckily, you don’t need to know everything about soil health in order to build it.
SOIL is the second step in the Circle of Awesome. To help you achieve success, discover the key pieces of knowledge in this week’s free resource that you need to know about your soil in order to grow an abundant garden!
Be sure to look for other Stage 1 Checklists in future newsletters!
🌽 Why Create a Crop Plan? 🌽
Many gardeners believe that crop planning is an unnecessary step in gardening due to some common misconceptions.
“My garden is too small.”
Actually, crop planning is just as important for a small garden as a large one—and sometimes, even more important! You need to maximize the use of your limited space in order to benefit from as much fresh food yield as possible.
“It’s not necessary. I’ll just wing it.”
“Just winging it” can lead to wasted space, lost crops, and low yields. You may unknowingly place plants a bit too close or place “unfriendly” plants near each other, both which will reduce—if not eliminate—the yields of the plants. Developing a crop plan helps to ensure that all your space is used effectively and that your plants have the best chance of producing healthy bountiful harvests.
“It takes more time to plan than to just plant.”
Developing a full picture of your garden from the beginning of your season to the end allows you to know exactly what needs to be done when, meaning it actually SAVES you time in the long run to have a full plan to reference throughout the growing season. It also helps you stay on track and ensure that nothing is missed.
Grow Your Own Vegetables’ Beginning Crop Planning Micro Course takes crop planning to its basic core and teaches you how to create a plan…no matter the size of your garden, the crops being planted, or where you live!
Course Instructor Crystal Meserole will guide you through creating a crop plan that works specifically for you and your garden. She has already done the trial and errors over the years so that you don’t have to experience those pains now.
Whether you’re a new grower and want to start your garden off on the right foot or you’re looking to improve your existing garden, this course is packed with the strategies you need to take your garden to a whole new level!
Find out more about the Beginning Crop Planning Micro Course by clicking the button below.
What's Happening in Harvest Club
Did you know that there are multiple types of apple worms?! AND…that they don’t all get managed the same way?
Along with apple worms in this week’s newly released resources is information on the squash vine borer, cats, caterpillars, rats, and even iguanas! All inside your Harvest Club portal.
Not a member of our garden membership Harvest Club? You can get a one-time complimentary two month membership with any of our courses. Harvest Club has tons of resources to help you thrive. Plus, you get access to ongoing garden support through email. Learn more here.
🤔 Why Do I Have So Much Unused Space?
New and seasoned gardeners alike often plant their entire garden only to discover that they still have a lot of empty space. The unused space is a waste of your time, money, and effort. Also, having unused space is not good for your soil. Find out why as well as how to maximize your harvest yields by creating a solid crop plan in this week’s feature blog…
Dear Arti,
Question: Can you give me five 15 minute lessons for school age kids? – Lisa J.
Answer: Hi Lisa, what a great idea! We do have one course out for kids ages 4-7 with some fun activities you might be interested in. You can check that out here. We are working on developing garden lessons for kids of all ages, so stay tuned! If you or anyone reading this have specific ideas in mind for what you’d like for your kids, click the link below and share!!
GYOV CEO and Lifestyle Gardener Denise Beins loves it when mushrooms pop up in her garden! Many gardeners wonder if mushrooms indicate a problem, but it actually shows that you have a healthy fungal network in your soil.
Did you have mushrooms in your garden? Post in the GYOV Garden Adventure Facebook Group and let us know. Pictures are even better!
On a lighter note…
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