Helpful Tips for your backyard garden.

There are many reasons to grow a garden and there is nothing like a home grown veggie!  All gardening begins with a plan. The desired site for your garden should have at least six hours of direct sunlight a day (bigger harvest and better taste!). The soil should be loose for root movement; it should also be well-drained to prevent root rot.

Crops must be spaced properly to prevent overcrowding which actually leads to less production. Why? The plants compete for the sunlight and water, and there is no room to grow if not spaced properly. A New Hampshire seed chart https://www.ufseeds.com/learning/planting-schedules/new-hampshire-vegetable-planting-calendar/ can help you make the proper decisions on planting times, harvest dates, and distance between plants which can lead to a successful garden.

Plant your peas, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage at the end of March, early April. These are all cool weather veggies. Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers need warmer weather to grow. If you don’t want to start from seed you can buy the starter plants at most Garden Centers at the beginning of the season. If you need an activity to do with your children get your seeds started inside. Here is an article to help: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/starting-plants-seed-fact-sheet  We sell both Coast of Maine Sprouts Island Organic Seed Starting Soil and Miracle Gro Seed Starting Mix.

Some helpful tips:

1. Plant in a sunny location. Vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. The more sunlight they receive, the greater the harvest and the better the taste.
2. Plant in good soil. Plants’ roots penetrate soft soil easily, so you need quality garden soil for needed nutrients. (We recommend Bumper Crop Soil made by Coast of Maine)
3. Space your crops properly per seed packet instructions. Plants set too close together compete for sunlight, water, and nutrition and fail to mature.
4. Buy high-quality seeds. A few “extra” cents spent in spring for that year’s seeds will pay off in higher yields at harvest time.
5. A vegetable garden about 16 x 10 can feed a family of four for one summer.