Learn your frost dates and plant accordingly. In most areas, the first and last frost dates set your planting schedule. The idea is that you don’t want to injure tender little sprouts with damaging frosts. Besides, little seeds will just sit in the soil if it hasn’t properly warmed up or they could drown if the soil is still too soggy. Another ill-advised time to plant, especially in drought-prone regions, is in the heat of summer. Instead focus on planting in the spring and fall.
7. Neat rows are overrated.
You don’t have to plant in rows. By clustering plants together, you can better trap moisture and allow taller plants to provide shade to smaller plants. Also by grouping plants together by watering needs, you can prevent over-watering those that don’t need much. Another thing to know is that vegetables do extremely well with companion plantings (a technique using the growth habits of one type of plant to help others). The most famous union is the “three sisters” (beans, corn, and squash) but there are other successful combos.
8. Picky is good.
Know that to reap the rewards and keep veggies producing all season, a veggie garden needs routine tending to. Fact: turn your back and poof!—cilantro and arugula will bolt and then you need to replant them. Takeaway: Veggie gardens are not a ‘set and forget it’ project. Prune, pinch, and harvest regularly.
9. Drought-resistant veggies are a real thing.
It seems crazy, but some plants grow better with less water. On the flip side, cool season plants with short root systems struggle without water, such as lettuce. Here are some drought-resistant veggies for hot climates: Corn, cucumber, cantaloupe, eggplant, and all pepper varieties.
10. Note-taking is important.
You might think you’ll remember when you planted that prolific zucchini and what the variety was, but then again you might not. Record in a journal what you grew, where you grew it, and any other planting notes. Make sure to also write down all your failures like that pepper that never produced, or the broccoli that became infested with aphids, and the tomato that tasted meh.
Have your own tips to share? We’d love to hear about them.
For more on edible gardens, see:
N.B.: This post has been updated with new photographs and links. It was first published April 2020.
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