Easy Trick To Jump Start Your Veggie Garden
Today I am excited to share a super simple trick that will help give those veggie seedlings a great start in your vegetable garden!
Talking about seedlings, here’s a tutorial on a super quick way to start seeds!
Have you noticed with the hot sun and transplant shock, little seedlings could shrivel up on the first day?
I was being my nerdy self, sitting under a tree trying to come up with a design for a removable shade structure so we can start planting some seedlings, when I caught myself saying “how lovely it is to be sitting under the dappled shade of a tree!” Wait!! I can make some ‘mini-trees’ in the garden!
Sometime the best solution is so obvious and so simple!
Step 1: Find a tree with small leathery leaves (see tips at the end for why), trim off some small branches
Step 2: Plant the seedlings you just got from the nursery, and give them a good water
Step 3: Stick the branches next to your newly planted seedlings, so each seedling is shaded from the south and west, so the hottest time of day they are protected!
Step 4: Water them daily for at least 3-4 more days, by then there should be no signs of stress: droopy leaves, etc. After a week, the branches can be removed or simply scattered as mulch!
Some additional tips!
- small leathery leaves can create nice lacy dappled shade and can hold up for a few days! I used Acacia tree branches here.
- some great common plants to use are : Boxwood, Holly, Oak, Rhaphiolepis, Acacia, Myrtle, … just google image them you will recognize some for sure!
- common plants not to use: Eucalyptus can stun the growth of other plants, and Oleander is poisonous. If unsure, take a cutting to a good nursery, and they can help you identify the plant.
It’s day 4 in our garden, all seedling are well established although it’s been sunny and in the high 70s each day! I think this method works great because these branches not only shade the plants, but also shade the soil to keep it moist and cool.
If you have been waiting to plant your veggies, perhaps give this one a try? Wish you a bountiful vegetable garden!
Thanks for sharing all of your experience in gardening!
Hey Ananda, such an informative article you had shared.thanks for sharing this.your tips will help us a lot for jump start the veggie garden. Keep posting this type of helpful articles. 🙂
Make a frame up and use some 50-70% shade cloth. Plant seedlings out and use the shade cover for 4-7 days. I have built a frame 2m x 2m x 1m and put bird netting on it. In the summer I am going to cover the top with shade cloth to cool the plants and soil down a bit. So the frame has 3 purposes. Keep birds out and some insects. Protect seedlings when transplanted and cool my garden so I can grow crops a bit longer into the early summer.
thank you mike for sharing these great tips! hard to believe we need to start winter veggies in a month! =)
Thanks for sharing your discoveries. Great website overall.
Anada that is a brilliant idea. You also reminded me to take cuttings from my tomatoes. I had completely fogtotten to do that and sow way too many seeds. I shall sow less seeds and take cuttings from the stronger ones a little later in the summer. x
‘forgotten; note to self…. check spelling
I usually do not post anything online. However, this information has been very useful. I really appreciate your knowledge and clear explanations. By just following these simple steps it is possible to plant anything. I have a very big backyard and I cannot afford buying plants already established. I have to start my garden from scratch. Last year, I made an attempt and by not knowing anything about gardening all seeds were maybe eating by birds or disappeared with the heavy rain. I learned not to expose seeds to rain or animals in a hard way. Until today I still had so many questions that your blog answered. Thank you – Thank you!
oh thank you karin!! =) we have experience a lot of failures too! wish you an amazing garden! xx
I noticed a lot of people have limited space for gardening. I would like to recommend they visit Larry Hall’s Rain Gutter Grow System on YouTube. I have two five-foot sections with five-gallon buckets growing. He also just started selling Root Pouches. I have some of those planted with fall vegetables. I hope this helps beginners (and seasoned) gardeners.
thank you paula! i LOVE the rain gutter systems! xx
Such a great idea my late granddaddy used to always do the planting like that too. Wishing I had a garden too x
thank you for sharing such beautiful memories myrabev! xo
Interesting to see how nature…gave you the answer 🙂
nature is way smarter than me haha! xo
Great tips! I need all the help I can get. I really want to start a veggie garden!
Ahhhh, probably the biggest negative about living in San Diego. Not many homes have gardening spaces. Great tips though.
Thrifting Diva
http://www.thriftingdiva.com
Cool post Ananada. Love the pics and the tricks:)
arti@artismoments.blogspot.com
I am definitely going to remember this post- I really want to plant a garden!
Well now isn’t this just a genius idea! I’ve never thought about doing this before. My next garden that I start I will use this simple technique. Thanks
Really great tips! I want to try a veggie garden next year and these will come in handy 🙂
Clever idea! Luckily it’s never too hot to plant where we are. My dad always manages a bumper crop every year!
Katie <3
Great tips! I had a garden plot this year, but never got around to using it. I’m pinning this for next year!
This is such a great idea! We use a removable shade sometimes on our garden but it doesn’t get a ton of sun so I don’t normally have issues.
I can not wait to move into a house with a huge yard so that I can do things like this.
This is a very clever idea! I REALLY want to garden but urban areas mean a lot of stray kitties
i do not have the slightest bit of a green thumb. I do want to start a vegetable garden though 🙂
This looks awesome. I don’t have a garden but I’d love to have a little one one day for mint and thyme and herbs. 🙂
Brilliant tip!
We moved from Washington to Florida late this Spring, and I thought we would be able to have all the fruits and veggies. Nope… nope. It’s scorching hot and there are rabbits EVERYWHERE! Super sad face.
I mentioned to my husband this morning before he went to work, that my aloe vera plant was supposed to have “roots”. It lifts up out of the pot of dirt with ease. How could I have killed it in a matter of < 5 months? I really need someone to help me get that green thumb. I'd love to have a garden to grow my own veg… but right now it's not looking so great.
I had such good intentions this year.. Sadly, not so much on the veggie garden. But next year, it will be done!
xoxo
The Accidental Mama
http://www.theaccidentalmama.com
I’ve always wanted to start a veggie garden but truth be told, I do not have a green thumb at all. But these are fabulous tips for when I’m ready to jump in!
I really wish I had a green thumb, I kill plants all the time, I have quite the reputation in my office for it actually. Do you know any kill resistant plants I can try to grow at home?
I envy your green thumb! I’ve always wanted to plant a small garden on our apartment deck but I’ve accidentally killed everything that comes into our house 🙁 one day I’ll get it right! 😀
So smart, I never would’ve thought of this! I lost all my plants in the last few weeks from it being so hot out 🙁
Great tips! I’d love to have a garden like this 🙂
What a great tip! We just recently planted our first tomatoes, I can’t wait to see if they actually grow! 🙂
awesome tips! the soil in arizona is so dry and it’s sometimes really difficult to have a nice pretty garden. I love all this green!
Great tips! I really need to focus on our patio garden now that the weather is going to be cool enough here in AZ here shortly for my veggies to thrive 🙂 thanks for the great tips!
Great tips! I’ve been wanted to start my own garden/get more plants and flowers <3
Great tips! I need all the help I can get!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! Maybe I’ll start off with a small veggie plant!
I didn’t plant a garden this year, but I really wish I had – I really missed my vegetables!