Springtime Gardening Tips for Getting the Most of Your Produce

The arrival of springtime is nothing short of spectacular. Beyond enjoying the heightened temperatures, presence of sunshine and occasional rain showers, you have the opportunity to tend a garden. Growing your own produce isn't just a seasonal hobby. Gardening is beneficial for the mind, body and soul, providing an outlet to the stressors of life and allowing you to burn calories along the way. Plus, planting and maintaining your own fruits and vegetables makes following a plant-based diet simple as can be. Why head to the grocery store when you can just escape to the backyard for the freshest pickings? After all, it's the easiest way to ensure you're only eating top-quality, organically grown produce. But gardening takes more effort than planting and watering a seed. If you really want to maximize your harvest this spring, consider the following tips: 1. Weed your Garden Regularly Pay attention to the presence of weeds among your crops. Plan to weed your soil and its surroundings regularly to avoid disrupting the growing process and overtaking of your garden, as suggested by natural lifestyle blog Premeditated Leftovers. 2. Use Your Space Efficiently Whether the amount of fertile soil you have is plenty or seldom, remember to use your space as efficiently as possible to maximize your harvest. Mother Earth News recommended planting in blocks, trying vertical gardening and growing vegetables alongside other compatible crops to maximizing your growing space. 3. Repeat your Successes Growing your own garden takes a lot of time and effort, and practice certainly makes perfect. If you want to make the most out of your selection, be sure to plant more of the fruits and vegetables that tend to grow spectacularly for you. Cut back on the amount of produce that doesn't excel at the same rate. 4. … But Try Something New While you should repeat your successes every year, don't be afraid to try something new. You'll never learn from your mistakes if you don't take a chance to discover new plant life. Who knows, maybe you'll excel at first try and develop a new love in the garden for a particular fruit or vegetable! 5. Don't Forget the Herbs! Seasonal fruits and vegetables are essential for making the most of your gardening hobby, but don't forget about the herbs! Grow your own fresh basil, dill, mint, parsley and other herbs to avoid the costly price tag at the organic grocery store. 6. Pick Produce at Peak Harvesting produce in the morning is key because plants are most plump with moisture and nutrients at this time of the day. 7. Replant Roots Recycling the bottom of old plants is an important element to mindful gardening. Replant roots from green onions, leeks and other cuttings from vegetables to maximize your harvest. If you're looking for new ways to utilizing your produce from the garden and turn them into delicious meals, look throughout our database of plant-based recipes!