I’m a gardening enthusiast – plant your tomatoes in late spring with a key companion, you’ll deter pests from attacking
A GARDENING whizz has given her take on how to plant tomatoes that survive the elements.
The green thumb said her technique — to be done in late spring — will keep pests away.
Lucy Rhead of Gtech gave her top tips for keeping her garden pristine.
Her advice included decluttering the space of unwanted debris.
The gardening enthusiast also recommended strategic co-planting to prevent pests in a natural way.
She also had some recommendations for lawn care for greener grass.
WHAT IS CO-PLANTING?
Co-planting refers to plants that grow well together to get optimal yield from crops.
Some benefits may include pest prevention and even preventing ailments that can plague certain plants.
“While you may already have an idea of what you want your garden to look like, and may even have some early bloomers coming through,” she said.
“You must create a plan for what you want to plant this summer.”
She swears by co-planting for the best garden, or as she calls it “companion planting.”
“Companion planting is one of the best ways you can make sure that your plants complement each other in terms of growth and development,” Rhead said.
She listed off some of her favorite pairings to get the most out of gardening.
Rhead plants cabbages with mint and carrots with leeks in early spring, and tomatoes with marigolds in late spring.
“These pairings put together plants that deter pests from attacking your vegetables and give you a healthy garden that can almost maintain itself,” she said.
“You should aim to plant them all in the spring, so you can harvest in summer.”
LUSH YARD
Rhead said to look out for grass that may be growing a bit out of control.
An unruly lawn may give the appearance of clutter, which is what Rhead warns against.
“With the warmer weather, the greenery in your garden will be growing quicker and quicker, and this includes your grass,” she said.
“So now is the perfect time to get into a regular lawn mowing routine, doing so either weekly or fortnightly, depending on growth.
“You can add your grass cuttings to your compost heap or, in drier weeks, leave them on top of your lawn to help retain moisture.
“Then to give your lawn an added boost for summer, apply a fertilizer to the grass to nourish your lawn and prevent weed growth.”
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.