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This article was inspired by a reader, Merrill, who asked how to work smarter, not harder, in the garden. Over the past few weeks, I reached out to some well known gardeners, readers of The Plot like yourself, and conducted a survey that received over 200 responses. This post will share the best answers I uncovered throughout my research below. Overall, I found that many answers revealed a similar thread, which I will reveal at the end.
How to work smarter, not harder, in the garden
Jess, Burda Growing Better: Practicing patience and saving money with seeds and small plants. Also, I treat gardening like any workout in taking care of your body/skin. (Sun protection.)
Robin, Plot Founder: Cardboard covered with mulch to block weeds. (This is a great way to prep a future bed!)
Nick, Farmer Nick: Catch the rain! Rain barrels are super easy to install and make watering easy. You can also direct a gutter towards a rain heavy bed.
Sandra, my sister: I get my brother to plant a garden for me? Nice try!
Tamim: This does not enter my mind. Working in the yard frees my mind and soothes my soul.
Rebecca, Grow Like Wild Newsletter: I'd say the smartest thing to do is always know your plants. Know your weeds. Know how they reproduce. If seeds are light germinated. If rhizomes regrow from a small piece. What they need to thrive, and that helps us remove them when necessary.
Mary, Plot Founder: I get my husband to do it.
Spencer: I don't let my husband do it because he kills them.
Survey Responses:
Pulling weeds after a rain - I also try to save my weeding days for after a rain storm. The weeds come out so easily!
Using fall leaves as free mulch - Leaf mulch can suppress weeds better than store-bought wood chips and are completely free. See my article on how to create a leaf bin here.
Bite-sized "puttering" sessions - A few recommendations about weeding just one type of weed, or a 10 minute timer. This helps avoid hours-long burnout sessions.
Planting native species for natural pest control - Planting native species can attract birds that eat pests, such as Tomato Hornworms, in your yard.
Low-maintenance plants - There were some suggestions about shifting to dwarf shrubs and evergreens to make the garden more manageable.
Trench composting - One respondent suggested digging a trench, adding compost, and covering with top soil. This saved effort by not needing to turn a compost bin, and allowed them to compost while preparing to sell their house.
Weeding tools - Some people noted that as they got older they spent less time on their knees weeding, opting instead to use tools like the Hoss Stirrup Hoe to weed while standing. (I use this on my visits to my community garden plot and it saves time and my back.)
Drip irrigation and soaker hoses - Automated watering to save time by putting in some work up front.
At the top I mentioned that I would reveal a common thread. Do you notice anything? That gardeners are lazy? We certainly can be, but life is more fun when you add in a little leisure. The biggest thing I noticed during my research was to adopt a mindset shift. Instead of opting for a perfectly manicured lawn and landscaping, lean into a little mess in your garden. Try to work with nature whenever possible by using the leaves it provides to suppress weeds, route rainwater to do some watering for you, and use some native plants to create resilient communities. English cottage gardens embrace a bit of flower clutter in such an endearing way. So never work against nature, and learn to embrace a little mess. You’ll be working smarter in no time!
About the Author
Ken Welch is a garden writer with a very serious degree in Horticulture. When his city lacked a community garden, he helped build one. He teaches new gardeners how to grow their own food.
Cibus Est Imperium | Food is Power
