Imagine: you put effort into the beds, water, fertilize, but the harvest is still modest. What's the matter?
Perhaps your garden is simply not reaching its full potential due to small but critical mistakes that you are not even aware of.
For example, did you know that mulch can be both a friend and an enemy? Or that an improper watering schedule can ruin all your efforts?
Let's figure out how to turn a plot into a fruitful paradise without digging, chemicals, and supernatural efforts.
Let's start with the soil. It often seems that the more you dig the soil, the looser and more nutritious it becomes. But this is a myth.
Over-cultivation destroys the soil structure, kills beneficial microorganisms and deprives plants of natural support.
Try the lazy bed method: don't dig the soil, just loosen the top layer with a pitchfork. Add compost or rotted manure on top - this will retain moisture and give the roots access to nutrients.
Within a season, you will notice that the plants have become stronger and there are fewer weeds.
Another secret is the right neighborhood. Some crops enhance each other's growth, while others, on the contrary, compete for resources.
For example, carrots and onions are ideal partners: onions repel carrot flies, and carrots protect their neighbors from onion flies.
But planting cucumbers next to potatoes is a bad idea. Both plants like moisture, but potatoes shade the cucumbers and take too many nutrients from the soil.
Plan your beds in advance, taking into account crop compatibility, and your yield will soar.
Don't forget about water. Most gardeners water their plants often, but little by little, thinking that this way they save them from drought.
In fact, this approach forces the roots to remain near the surface, making the plants vulnerable to temperature changes.
It is better to water less often, but abundantly: the water will saturate the deep layers of soil, and the roots will begin to grow downwards, becoming stronger.
The ideal time for watering is early morning or evening after sunset. During the day, water droplets on the leaves act as lenses, causing burns.
And the last life hack - do not rush to remove all the tops after harvesting. Leave the roots of the plants in the ground: they will rot and become natural fertilizer.
And the stems and leaves can be chopped up and scattered over the beds - this will protect the soil from erosion and retain moisture.
It seems like a small thing, but it's the little things that work wonders
