Local gardening experts share tips for maintaining a healthy garden

Mary Jane LaLonde/Kristina McCorry

With warm soil and plenty of sun, summer can be a great time to start gardening.

Here’s some advice from gardeners from the Gardens at Gantz Farm that will help you keep your plants healthy and thriving through the summer heat so they are set for harvesting now through the fall.

Get growing

Mary Jane LaLonde/Kristina McCorry

For those looking to put down roots this summer, Head Gardener Mary Jane LaLonde suggests starting out small with potted plants or using raised beds. Window boxes or hanging baskets are also a good alternative to in-ground gardening.

Checking for water and fertilizing regularly are important considerations for maintaining plant health. In general, LaLonde recommends gardeners feel the soil with a finger to determine if plants need watered, though some gardens may need more water depending on factors such as wind or sun.

Assistant Gardener Kristina “Kris” McCorry advises checking water at least twice a day in hot months, especially for raised beds or pots, which can lose water quickly.

To manage water, gardeners can try tricks such as using water storing crystals or even filling two-liter bottles and turning them upside down in pots to give plants a slow trickle of water.

For larger gardens, a drip irrigation system can be helpful.

“That's usually considered one of the most efficient ways to water because you're not losing any of the water through evaporation like with a standard sprinkler, and you're getting it right to where the roots are,” McCorry says.

Pest management

Mary Jane LaLonde/Kristina McCorry

To deal with unwanted visitors, such as aphids or white flies, LaLonde offers a few suggestions.

For instance, nasturtiums can be planted to draw aphids away from main crops. Other plants such as marigolds can be useful in deterring nematodes, which typically prefer tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables.

As opposed to using harsh chemicals or insecticides, she suggests spraying bugs off with a hose spray; using physical barriers, such as row covers, to keep harmful insects away; or even picking the insects off and putting them in soapy water.

“The more pesticides and insecticides that you spray in your garden, the fewer critters you're going to have,” LaLonde says. “Mama birds need to feed their babies insects. And if you have killed all the insects in your yard, then you're not going to have birds. It's a symbiotic relationship between insects and other animals.”

To keep four-legged critters away, LaLonde and McCorry say physical barriers and deterrents such as deer or rabbit spray can work well.

Gardening guidance

Mary Jane LaLonde/Kristina McCorry

While starting a garden can seem daunting, LaLonde says these considerations can make things easier:

Start small.
Make sure store-bought plants are healthy. Inspect plants to make sure they don’t have bugs and ensure the roots are healthy.
Prepare the soil before planting. Remove weeds and rocks. Ensure the soil isn’t waterlogged. Add compost to provide plants with a rich environment.
Avoid over- or under-watering plants. Test the soil with your finger to ensure it’s neither too wet nor dry.
Ensure there’s good drainage. Potted plants especially need good drainage to prevent the roots from rotting.
Don’t forget to fertilize. While potting mix may have fertilizer at the beginning of the season, the fertilizer may run out by late summer.
Don’t give up too soon.

“If something dies or it isn't doing well, throw it out and start over or plant something else,” LaLonde says. “Gardening is a constant experience and experiment.”