Nurse, Mom, and everything in between.: An Update on the Amateur Gardener

Monday, July 7, 2025

An Update on the Amateur Gardener

Hello, welcome back to my blog. I wanted to give a little update on my garden. I have included a few pictures, many I took today to give you an idea of how things are coming along. I think we were a little ambitious with the tomato plants as they have turned into a jungle in the garden despite the cages. The plants are well over 5' tall. The tomatoes will be plentiful this year I will be making my roasted tomato sauce again this year. I will include a recipe when it comes time to make it and will include photos. Today I wanted to give you some insight into some of the most common challenges and solutions with gardening. I hope they help some with your gardening endeavors.

Planting too early-Yes I have done this. No I do not recommend it. I get my little plants looking beautiful and solid indoors and we get into May and it gets hot. I get ambitious and want them out in the beautiful weather and frost decides to show up one night. All my little plants that I watched grow from seeds shrivel up and die. Don't do this!! Wait for the right weather.

Overwatering or Underwatering- Ok, I will admit I have also done this one. I have been known to give too much water in the past. I experienced some rot in my zucchini plant last year. Good rule of thumb if the soil feels dry an inch deep give it water.

Plant Location Really does matter-Some plants will burn in the full sun while others prefer partial sun. Read the labels or do a quick Google search.

Pests- This one can be difficult. We have enclosed our gardens with posts and netting which keeps a fair amount of rabbits and squirrels out, but we still get the odd curious squirrel in there. I guess they get hungry too.As far as bugs we have been pretty lucky, we have had a few leaves nibbled, but so far nothing detrimental to the garden. There are a few things that are good for warding off insects. Herbs such as basil, mint, chives, and thyme are known to help. There are a few remedies on Google but I haven't tried them so I cant honestly attest to their worth.

Improper Spacing/Too many plants- Again guilty! I have had my fair share of jungle gardens and can tell you that some plants will kill off others. Be sure to do your research on the amount of space each plant requires.

Lack of Nutrients in Soil- Each year your soil will require new nutrients. We add new soil to old soil and add Miracle Grow specific for the edible garden. It is also good to rotate your plants position each year in the garden as some plants really deplete the garden of Nutrients.

I hope you found this post informative. I would love to hear about issues you had with your garden. Please leave a comment and don't forget to follow my page.

Happy Gardening!!!