Social distancing guidelines put into place to combat COVID-19 have left many of us at home and feeling relatively immobile. However, outdoor gardening is a great social distancing activity to get outside and move around. It can be enjoyed by the whole family! Together, you can reap the rewards of a beautiful garden and perhaps some delicious vegetables!
There are important things every gardener, novice or expert needs to do to start the growing season right. Here are five outdoor gardening tips!
1. Clean and Prune
Step one to getting your garden ready for spring is to clean your garden space and prune your existing plants, bushes, and trees. Most perennials need some amount of pruning to keep them coming back beautifully year after year. Trees also need a snip here and there to stay healthy and look their best. Clean out and prepare annual planters and remember to sweep and spruce up outdoor living areas. Pruning should be done at the intersection of branches and cut off branches that may rub against each other.
This is a great family activity while social distancing. Kids can help clean dead leaves, damaged branches, and trimmed plant debris while you prune the plants!
2. Improve Soil
After your garden is cleaned up, you will need to ensure you have healthy soil that is ready to plant. Adding a good compost is essential to reaching this goal. Mix in high-quality compost, such as Oakdell’s Organic Compost, the official compost of Thanksgiving Point Gardens. While other products are filled with lots of wood chips, this compost is rich in nutrients and essential organic matter to help vegetables, trees, and lawns grow beautifully. It’s the only certified organic compost in Utah and it’s chemical-free, so it’s safe to use even with little ones running around — children or pets. And because it’s fully composted it has a fresh earthy smell. Doing this each year improves soil quality, reduces soil compaction, helps soil retain water and decreases the need for fertilizer.
Mixing compost into your soil can get your heart rate up, and is a great way to get some exercise while social distancing!
3. Make a Plan
It is important to take time to plan the garden. Adequately planning your garden is a good way to continue working on your garden on rainy days when you cannot be outside. Write down what will be planted, where and when, and organize a way to keep records of plant needs and maintenance. You can also create a map of your garden to visualize what it will look like.
If you’d like to try something new, such as a vegetable garden, make the necessary preparations.
Ask your family what kind of vegetables they want to grow and consider growing them from seeds. This is a fun way for kids to help plant and watch seeds grow indoors! You can easily buy a seed starting kit online, to minimize contact with others.
4. Tend to Tools
Check to make sure you have everything needed for planting and maintenance, and replace missing or broken tools.
Clean, oil or sharpen tools and have the lawnmower serviced if needed. According to Bob Vila’s website, “Maintaining your garden tools will ensure that any chore you complete gets done with the highest potential for accuracy and precision.”
5. Outdoor Gardening as a Social Distancing Activity
“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” With everything ready, it’s time to plant.
Follow growing instructions and plant away. Then sit back and watch — when you’re not weeding, of course — as everything grows into a beautiful garden.
By including your family while social distancing, your garden can produce more than plants and vegetables. It can create memories for your family of you creating something beautiful together!