How to protect your new plants & give them a good head start

The most exciting season of the year is almost here - Spring! Time for everything to awaken and begin to grow again in the plant and animal kingdoms. Garden season is just around the corner and the hungry pests will soon follow. Use these tips to get your garden off to a good start this spring and a strong finish with plenty of produce.

Garden Location

Most garden plants (and flowers) will require at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Select a location and observe it for 24 hours to ensure it will receive that much sunlight. take into consideration the nearby buildings which cast shadows and nearby trees which will leaf out when spring arrives. Structures and trees often put plants in the shade and provide shelter for plant-eating pests.

Soil Preparation

After selecting the right garden location, prepare the soil so it will be able to feed the plants throughout the growing season.

Apply plenty of compost or well rotted cow manure to the garden soil. Plow the soil, then cover the top of the garden spot with six inches of the chosen organic matter and thoroughly work it into the soil. Allow soil to rest for at least one week before planting seeds or plants so the soil can settle and nutrients disperse throughout the soil.

Planting Time

Plant desired crops into prepared soil by sowing seeds or setting out plants. Once the plants have reached 10-15 cms  in height, add 5 cms of organic mulch around the plants. The mulch will help retain soil moisture, keep soil cool during the heat of summer, prevent weed growth and supply nutrients to the soil as it slowly decomposes.

Plant Protection

After all the hard work you put into starting a garden in the spring, the last thing you want is for pests to destroy the plants, produce and/or flowers. The best way to protect plants is with a quality netting. Lightweight netting will allow the sunlight and rain water to pass through to the plants, but keep small and large pests out.

Lightweight, connecting frames can easily be installed over the top of any garden to support the protective netting. Frames can be joined together with PVC connectors (20mm, 25mm, 32mm, 40mm & 50mm) to create any shape or height needed to protect garden plants. Netting is easy to roll back so plants can be tended too and produce harvested. A frame and netting are sturdy enough to be used for several years.

Pictures above are of my garden ready for spring - have a look at our website at our customer photos page for more ideas for your next PVC project. We also have free plans and videos to help you with your next PVC project- Rob Klever Cages