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It is that time of year. People everywhere are getting ready to plant their gardens. They are looking forward to tasty fruits and veggies that they planted in their own garden. Whether this is your first garden, or you are an experienced gardener, these tips will help you harvest the sweetest and juiciest fruits.
Before you begin
You need to take some time to learn about the fruits and vegetables that you intend to plant. There are plenty of free gardening apps that will help you. Download a couple of apps that will remind you of when to water your plants and how to spot signs of trouble.
Prepare the ground
Turn the soil in the grown and remove any debris left from earlier plants. You need a good and clean place to grow your plants. This begins with tilling and cleaning the ground.
Next, you should test the ground for the PH levels. The soil should be balanced and rich.
PH kits are available at any garden centre. If you do not want to use a kit, you can test the soil using vinegar and baking soda. You will find the instructions here.
Virus Protection
Fruits are susceptible to viruses. Once your fruit plants get a virus, it is next to impossible to save them. The way to avoid fruit plant viruses is to buy good seed. Order your seeds from a company that only provides the best seeds. If you buy your seeds from a rack in a garden centre, you are taking your chances that the seed is virus free. If it is not, who are you going to call?
Cross-Pollination
Again, this may take a little research. Apples and pears are among the examples of plants that need to have different types of plants next to them so they can cross-pollinate. Before you plant, find out if the plants you are seeding need to be next to a different plant. Citrus plants do not need this. Neither do most berries.
Fast and easy fruits to begin with
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Blueberries
- Huckleberries
- Apples
- Blackberries
- Figs
- Dwarf peaches
- Melons
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Making the fruit sweet, larger, and juicy
If you have followed the above suggestions, you should have a wonderful harvest. However, there is one more tip you need to use. Add kitchen composts from fruit peelings and other scraps. The composts help fertilize the ground and assists with drainage.
Watering
Fruit plants need plenty of water. The roots need to stay moist. But, they do not need a lot of water on the leaves. The fruits mentioned above need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Of course, that will use up a lot of the moisture that is above the ground. It is best to water near the ground level rather that over the top of the plants. A little water on the tops is fine, just do not continually saturate them.
Frost Warning
We are nearing April, and in most places, the threat of frost is over. However, if you are experiencing cold weather, wait until the threat of frost is over. Even the most experienced gardener knows that Mother Nature likes to play with us. If your plants are budding and an unexpected frost arrives, don’t panic. Just cover your plants. With the exception of figs, most fruit plants will still produce even if they lose a lot of their buds.
So, there you have it. Follow these tips to harvest a great crop that will thrive until late in the summer.
