9 Tips To Get Your Garden Blooming Quickly
Updated: May 24, 2023Want more growth in your garden? Check out these nine tips for getting your garden to bloom quickly. You'll thank us later!
Start With the Best, Most Nutrient-Rich Soil
Good soil is the key to your gardens health and vitality. So to start off your garden on the right foot, make sure you have the best soil for the type of garden you want to grow.
A good general garden soil mix is one-third topsoil, one-third composted manure and one-third sand. First mix these together with a shovel and then fill your garden bed (we recommend a raised garden bed). Next, establish and maintain the soil’s fertility with mulch, composted organic material and/or chemical fertilizers. Plus: How to prep soil for a vegetable garden.
Decide What You’d Like to Grow
When planning what to grow in a vegetable garden, if you know you won’t eat a specific crop, then simply don’t grow it in your garden. Instead, focus on the things that you and your family enjoy the most, including flowers. Additionally, make sure your choices make sense for your climate area. Figure out your gardening zone and estimated first and last frost dates. Check out these inexpensive plants that will make your garden pop.
Track the Sunlight
The amount of sunlight your garden gets will determine which plants you should choose and when to start a garden. Take photos of your garden location in the morning, early afternoon and evening to see how much sun it gets. Vegetables and full-sun plants need six hours of daily sun; partial-sun plants three to six hours; and shade plants need two to three hours.
Use the Right Fertilizer
Before you set foot in the fertilizer aisle, test your soil. The test results give you an idea of what nutrients your soil may be lacking so you can purchase a fertilizer that will add those nutrients.
On most fertilizer products, you may notice a set of three numbers. Those numbers tell you the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (in that order) in the product. Each element is critical for plant health.
Nitrogen (N) encourages green, leafy growth. Phosphorus (P), in the form of phosphate, contributes to root development. And potassium (K), in the form of potash, helps to maintain plant and grass vigor. Want to know more about fertilizer? We’ve got you covered with this fertilizer guide.
Maximize the Use of Mulch
Mulch keeps weeds at bay and protects your plants’ roots. It also shields the soil, keeping it moist and preventing it from washing away. There are many types of mulch on the market, from shredded wood bark and pine needles to rubber and cocoa bean hulls. Experts say one of the best mulches is compost, which is discarded waste from your yard and kitchen. Since compost is made of organic materials, it enriches the soil as it decomposes. Here’s what you need to know about compost mulch.
Start Seeds Indoors
Start seeds of some of your favorite veggies and annuals indoors several weeks or months in advance. This way, seedlings can go right into the garden without delay when conditions are warm enough. Here are some of our best tips on how to start seeds indoors.
Know When You Can Start Your Seeds Outdoors
Call your nearest cooperative or extension office and ask when the last predicted frost date is, or check online. This information will help you know when you can plan your seeds outdoors. Plus, check out these 10 seriously useful gardening tips every beginner needs to know.
Keep Grass Out
Add a border to keep grass in your lawn from invading your garden; it’s hard to get rid of once it does. Home and garden centers sell a variety of border and edging materials. Strips of steel, aluminum or heavy-duty plastic work best on fairly even terrain and are unobtrusive. Be sure your border extends at least 4 in. into the ground to keep out grass.
Know Which Plants Bloom Quickly
If you want to start with a blooming garden come Spring, plant a couple of fast-growing flowers from seed. Some quick blooming flowers include: Annual sweet alyssum, pot marigold, violas, petunias, poppies, sunflowers and the list goes on. Most of these flowers are also frost tolerant, which make them perfect for planting right as the gardening season starts. Follow these 25 tips for planning the perfect garden.
