Garden Tips
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Tips, Tricks and Traps

Garden Tips
February 02, 2024•0 min read

Tips, Tricks, and Traps for a Thriving Vegetable Garden Gardening is a delightful journey, filled with tiny triumphs and, let’s be honest, a few bumps along the way. But with a bit of knowledge and a dash of creativity, you can turn your backyard into a flourishing oasis of veggies, herbs, and flowers. Let’s dive into some tips, tricks, and traps that will help you cultivate a garden that's not only productive but also a joy to tend. Tips for Success: Tip #1: Location Matters, But Don’t Worry—You Can Grow Anywhere! When it comes to growing your own food, location is key. Whether you have a sunny spot in your yard or a shady corner on your balcony, there’s always something you can grow. The trick is to match the plant with the spot—lettuce loves a bit of shade, while tomatoes will thrive in full sun. Don’t be discouraged if your space isn’t perfect; with a little planning, you can create a garden that works for you. Tip #2: Put Your Garden in Your Way Out of sight, out of mind—this is especially true for gardens. If your garden is tucked away behind the garage, you're far less likely to visit it regularly. Place your garden where you’ll see it often, whether it’s along a path you walk daily or right outside your kitchen door. This way, you’re more likely to dash out to grab some arugula and chives for dinner or spend a few minutes tending to your plants. Tip #3: Water Your Seeds Twice a Day Seeds are like little babies—they need constant care to grow up healthy. When you plant seeds, check the back of the packet for germination time (usually something like “Sprouts in 7-14 days”). This means you’ll need to keep those seeds moist for that entire period. Water them twice a day to ensure they don’t dry out. Once they sprout, you can gradually reduce watering, but in the beginning, it’s all about keeping them hydrated!

Tricks to Make Life Easier: Trick #1: Leave One Plant for the Bugs It might sound counterintuitive, but leaving one plant for the bugs can actually help protect the rest of your garden. For example, when growing brassicas like cabbage, caterpillars will inevitably come for a bite. Instead of battling them on every plant, leave one cabbage uncovered or unsprayed. This will attract the critters and, in turn, draw in predatory insects like wasps that help keep your garden balanced. Trick #2: Pick Often to Keep Plants Producing Plants have a life cycle, and for fruiting plants, producing seeds is the final act. If you leave fruits like tomatoes, beans, or cucumbers on the plant, they’ll think their job is done and start to wind down. By picking produce when it’s young and doing so often, you encourage the plant to keep producing more. It’s like telling your plants, “Hey, keep going—you’re doing great!” Trick #3: Plant Herbs, Flowers, and Bush Beans Around the Edges The edges of your raised beds are prime real estate for herbs, flowers, and bush beans. Not only do these plants protect your fruiting crops and attract beneficial bugs, but they also create a beautiful and functional border. Plus, they’re easy to reach when you need to harvest quickly, leaving the center of the bed undisturbed for slower-growing plants like tomatoes.

Traps to Lure in the Right Bugs: Trap #1: Nasturtium—The Multi-Tasker Nasturtium is a gardener’s best friend. With its vibrant flowers and attractive leaves, it’s a feast for the eyes—and for the bugs. Nasturtiums draw in aphids and pollinators alike, making them the perfect trap crop. Plus, all parts of the plant are edible, so you can enjoy them in your salads while they work hard in your garden. Trap #2: Dill—A Bug Magnet Dill is a cool-weather herb that bolts quickly in the heat, sending up umbrella-shaped flowers that bugs can’t resist. Aphids will flock to it, and where there are aphids, ladybugs will follow. Let dill flowers dry on the plant, and you’ll be rewarded with hundreds of seeds for the next season, making dill a garden gift that keeps on giving. Trap #3: Gaura—The Butterfly Whisperer Not everyone knows about Gaura, but this perennial plant is a gem. Its delicate, butterfly-shaped flowers flutter in the breeze, adding a touch of whimsy to your garden. Gaura attracts all sorts of insects, including beneficial ones like ladybugs and bees. It’s a beautiful, low-maintenance addition that will thrive year after year, drawing in the right kind of garden visitors. Gardening is about more than just growing food—it’s about creating a little patch of earth where life can thrive. So get out there, get your hands dirty, and enjoy the magic of your own garden!

Garden TipsGarden TricksGarden Trap PlantsBackyard Food GrowingKitchen Gardens
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Ryan Hewson

Backyard garden consultant, coach and founder of Trellised Kitchen Gardens. Helping local food growers establish kitchen gardens in Burbank, Toluca Lake, and North Hollywood, Ca.

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