I thought it would be timely to share some gardening tips.  Nothing new or revolutionary, just practical tips that might come in handy if you haven’t heard of them before.  If you learn one thing, then I’ve done well.

Watering

• Rain barrels!  Who knew you could collect so much water even from 5 minutes of rain?  Making your own seems to be the most cost-effective method.  If time is a pinch, then buy one or four.  You can daisy-chain them, which is a goal of ours after we have one at every corner of the house.  Right now we just have two, and I’ve never run out.  I can’t imagine having one this huge!  I use the water for the plants outside since we don’t have a filter on the home water system yet.  The chlorine and other chemicals in the water are understandably hard on plants.
• Water in the early morning.  Mid-day the water evaporates too quickly and could be hard on the leaves.  After dusk the moist soil can attract more pests and can leave the roots too soggy.  If you can’t get up and into the garden before 10am, then set up a sprinkler on a timer.  An exception might be for drip hoses, shaded by the plants’ foliage.  I would think those would be okay into early afternoon and are ideal for conserving water.

Pests

• Companion planting works wonders.  I’ve planted radishes with cucumbers just for the benefit of the cucumbers, not because I’m fond of radishes.  If you can’t find a companion, it’s worth planting other beneficial flowers or herbs.  That’s why marigolds are so common in gardens.  (And because they seed easily — take the dead flower, open it up and sprinkle the seeds around.  Cover with a little soil, water, and you’ll have marigolds soon enough.)
• If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t use it in the garden.  We promote organic gardening around here.  Sure, it takes a little time and effort, but isn’t it worth not adding harmful substances to your family’s bodies?  I suppose the exception is the minerals we add to the soil.  You wouldn’t catch me eating compost, either!
• Don’t be afraid to catch a bug.  When bad bug hunting, carry a container of soapy water.  It doesn’t have to be big.  I caught about a dozen Japanese beetles the other day who were munching away on our raspberry bushes.  Catching the few that were there is better than using a trap and attracting even more.  Usually I let them eat away at our non-blooming wisteria if it keeps them out of the garden.  Hornworms die in the soapy water, too.  Fast-flying bugs are harder to catch, and squash bugs I just, well, squash.  I don’t like squash bugs.  Wear gloves if you’re afraid of the bugs.
• Egg shells are effective for keeping slugs at bay.  I rinse them off and keep them in a bowl by the kitchen sink.  After they’re dry, I crush them down.  When I get a bowl full, preferably in early spring, I take them out and sprinkle them around the plants.  I wasn’t as good about doing it this year, and the slugs are everywhere!
• Remember the beneficial insects!  You gotta love the worms, ladybugs, wasps, bees, even some ants and many more.

Weeds

• Newspaper makes a great biodegradable weed barrier, preferably just use the black and white print.  So does straw (so long as it’s not hay).
• Toss the weeds to the compost pile.  Some say it’s better to wait to add them until they’ve died.  We’ve done both.
• Be aware of volunteer plants when weeding.  Some of our tomatoes and melons are from volunteers.  Keep a keen eye out for those fledgling plants, especially around the compost pile!  You can move them if they’re still small and in the way.  I’ve found that they grow best if they’re left where they are, though.

Compost

• Okay, I’ve mentioned it more than once already, but I think all gardeners will agree this is one of the most important aspects of gardening.  Read up on it; there are over a million sites related to composting.  Learn what you can and start building up your pile.
• No meats, dairy or fats/oils.  We have read that you can have these things in your pile if you’re careful as to what you add with/around it, but we have a rodent family around here, and I don’t want to encourage a village.  I’m not particularly keen on the stench, either.  With just our fruit, veggie, coffee grounds, tea bags, weeds, twigs, soil, etc., we’ve got a good pile or two going, and I can stand to be around it.  If the top layer of scraps stinks a bit, toss some soil on it.
• Fancy gizmos aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.  We got a compost tumbler for our last house.  It stank, and we never got to use what we put into it.  Now it sits neglected.  I have it if anyone wants it!

Journal

• I have a garden journal (a spiral notebook with a cover I collaged), but most of the time I just use a sheet of paper to map out the garden.  This is handy so I know where I planted things the year before to prevent planting the same thing in the same spot.  Crop rotation has many benefits.
• Plan your calendar/seasonal chores.  Some books help with this, but I haven’t found a favorite yet.  It also depends on where you live, what kind of plants you’re working with.  It’s best to put everything in perspective and have an idea of what you need to do when.  I know this, but it’s practicing it that I’m having a hard time with!

I hope this helps in some way with your gardening.  If you have other tips to share, I’d love to hear them.   The best way to learn is from other’s successes and mistakes, right?