A good habit that you can start this year is keeping a garden journal. In it, you track what seeds and plants you buy, when things are planted, how they are doing, pests and diseases that you see, when you harvest and other pertinent details about your landscape.
Why Should You Write in a Garden Journal?
Mother Nature can be unpredictable and you can never be quite sure what will happen to your garden. One year I tried growing my own potatoes, but had it fail from the start because it was extra rainy that season and flooded my garden.
However, there are generally trends that will ring true in your garden from year to year. If you keep tabs on what is happening in a journal, this will help you recognize these patterns and use them to your advantage. Some examples include:
- Maybe you planted your vegetable seeds a little too early before
- You might have the same types of insects every year
- You can note when you got to pick those luscious cherries and be prepared
Garden JournaLs Helps You Work with A Landscaping Company
You can record the work that a company has done for you to help you remember when to schedule certain procedures like aeration and fertilization. If you write down how much new plantings and maintenance costs, it is easier to budget out how much you will need to set aside. Noting pests and diseases will alert you to problems that a professional can help you solve.
Start keeping a journal now. You can order one that is specifically designed for gardening or use one that you have around the house. There are also now digital options like software and apps if you find it easier to track that way.
Do you keep a garden journal?
Image by campbelj45ca under a Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
