Investment Number One: Build your gardening skills. The more you know, the better you’ll grow. Taking classes, joining a local garden club, applying for Master Gardener training and finding someone to mentor you along your gardening journey are four ways to strengthen your gardening knowledge and technique.
Gardening groups are a great way to meet fellow gardeners. Hoe and Hope Garden Club is a well-established local organization whose membership includes all levels of gardening experience. Discover more about Hoe and Hope here: http://hoeandhopegardenclub.com/.
Sign up and take our gardening classes as they become available. Next time you're in the store, make sure you're on our email list and follow our weekly blog for timely, relevant gardening advice.
Find a garden mentor. A garden mentor is someone with the training, knowledge and experience to help you make good decisions when it comes to planting, growing and harvesting your crops. This could be a neighbor, a friend or someone in a local garden shop that you can discuss garden questions and ideas with.
Investment Number Two: Build your garden soil. Soil quality has the greatest influence on your crops and yields. You can overcome a lot of gardening mistakes if your soil has good structure, drains well and is healthy and rich with microbial activity. Adding organic material on a regular basis, utilizing cover crops effectively and incorporating strategies that build and maintain soil microbial health are methods that will pay off in larger yields. Start by testing your soil. You can use a DIY kit or send a sample off to Colorado State University for a more extensive test. You'll receive a report detailing the quality and fertility of your soil. Bring us your report and we'll help you figure out what to do.
Investment Number Three: Know, don’t guess. Whether it’s a problem with your houseplants, herbs, tomatoes or vegetables. There are many factors that influence your garden. Our Diagnostic Center is open year-round. We’ll help you identify the issue and offer recommendations on how to solve the problem. We offer these services free of charge.
Investment Four: Buy the best tools you can and take care of them. Good tools make every garden task easier, safer and more effective. Create a designated storage spot for each tool and get in the habit of cleaning your tools and putting each tool away after you’ve used it. This way, you won’t waste time looking for tools.
Finally, get out in the garden every day. Working in the garden isn't all about the chores you "have to do". Whether you're growing tomatoes or dahlias, make sure you pause every now and then and enjoy your garden. It's one of the healthiest aspects of your life. Enjoy it!
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