Put the Six Best Practices of Organic Land Care to work in your garden
Our gardens are an opportunity to make both our lives and our environment better by encouraging pollinators, creating wildlife habitat, keeping storm water from running into our streams, providing us with fresh vegetables, and beautiful outdoor living spaces. However, if we install plants to nurture wildlife and then spray our gardens with weed killer or overfertilize we lose many of the benefits of these sustainable practices.
At Backyard Bounty, we look at garden maintenance the way we look at taking care of our health. We stay well by eating right, practicing good hygiene, getting enough water, protecting ourselves from extreme weather and getting enough rest. Our landscape maintenance program takes these six elements and adapts them for the garden. When we take care of ourselves, we don’t have to rely on medication to lead a healthy, happy life. Likewise, plants growing in healthy soil perform at their best and are better able to stand up to disease, pests, weather and other stresses without chemical support.
What does this kind of garden maintenance involve? Six elements:
| What | Why | When |
| Pruning | Keeps plants healthy by improving air flow,
removing damage that may draw harmful pests, and getting rid of disease to prevent spreading |
Mostly in late winter/early spring, Any time for dead or diseased branches. Some plants should
be pruned in late spring/ early summer |
| Natural process
Fertilizing |
Feeds plants by keeping the soil healthy and alive with compost tea applications | Spring and fall
|
| Mulching | Retain moisture, inhibit weed growth | Early spring |
| Periodic tending | Keep the garden orderly so you enjoy it all year
Patrol for unwanted pests and disease |
As needed April-October
At least three times during growing season |
| End of season clean up | Remove excess leaves on garden beds and lawns to avoid matting
Cutback plants as appropriate while leaving grasses, seeds and other habitats |
November-January depending on weather |
| Winter compost blanket | Top-dress beds with compost to feed the soil over the winter | November-January depending on weather |
Backyard Bounty’s trained team of professionals can help with all these elements so that your garden stays healthy throughout the year.