Five Summertime Gardening Tips
June 7, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Atlanta
• 0 Comments
Five Summertime Gardening Tips
Cooking in Georgia in the summer means fresh local produce grown in that rich, red Georgia soil. To get the freshest produce for your summer grilling and cooking in Georgia you should consider cultivating your own vegetable garden.
You may or may not have the proverbial green thumb when it comes to home gardening, but with the right preparation and care, you can turn even a modest piece of land into a robust vegetable garden that will provide its bounty all summer long. Learning how to plant and care for your own vegetable garden is a culinary education worth its weight in heirloom tomatoes.
We’ve put together these five tips to help get you through your first summer as a home gardener.
- Stick with the Basics
This means all of the basics from keeping your initial plot simple and small to not spending a fortune on supplies and materials. The idea behind a successful garden is not just getting fresh, homegrown produce, but to do it less expensively than buying from a store or farmer’s market. And if you are looking to go organic, it means opting for compost and manure over chemical fertilizers
- Use Supports
Many vegetables benefit from supports like stakes or a trellis, especially tomatoes. Don’t let those fragile fruits lay on the ground. Rot and pest infestation will occur quickly. Other plants that benefits from supports are cucumbers, strawberries, melons, squash, and most varieties of beans.
- Stagger Your Crops
Many crops are best planted early because they have long growing seasons. For these planting in May means a July or August harvest. Other short-season crops, however, can be planted in June or early July for a late summer harvest. They include lettuce, beets, carrots, and radishes. As the crops are harvested your culinary education will improve as you decide how to prepare them.
- Harvest Frequently
Heavily fruited plants like tomatoes, zucchini, and beans should be harvested often to encourage continued production. Removing fruits early will keep the plant producing throughout the summer. Leaving fruits on until they reach full maturity will signal an end to the growing season for the plant. Depending on your climate, some plants can produce well into September or October.
- Don’t Ignore Your Garden
This last bit of advice might be the most important. The real work of a garden isn’t the planning or planting it’s the day-to-day maintenance of weeding, watering, feeding (fertilizing), and pest removal. All of your initial hard work will be lost if you neglect your garden after planting. Don’t let your harvest be left to chance. Take the time each day to maintain your garden and you won’t be disappointed.
Gardening is challenge, but it’s a challenge that is full of rewards. Be sure to do your research before planning and planting. And above all, be sure to maintain your garden daily.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta.Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in the Atlanta, Georgia area. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Atlanta for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.