Darin Engh from Engh Gardens shares some tips to help your garden reach the maximum potential.
Tickling your Tomatoes
This is an easy trick where you help Mother Nature pollinate some of the plants. Use a small paint brush to gently brush inside the blossoms of the plant. Then, just use that same paint brush to brush all the other blossoms. This should help pollinate all the potential fruits and vegetables. Be careful not to cross pollinate. Use a different paint brush for each variety. Otherwise you will get a strange crossbreed vegetable that might look interesting, but will likely not be usable. This works great for vegetables like tomatoes and squash.
Let Flowers do some work
Plant companion plants like French marigolds, butterfly weed, fennel, and nasturtiums to lure in beneficial insects and pollinators. The scent of some of the flowers even helps to keep some destructive insects away.
Limit your Fruits
A plant or vine can really only support 2-3 fruits or vegetables. If you have pumpkins or watermelons, only allow 2-3 to grow on each vine. Pinch off the other blossoms. That will encourage the best growth and sweetness.
Go easy on the Mulch
If you use organic mulch, don’t overdo it. The extra layers actually keep the soil cook and that may slow the growth and maturity of tomatoes. Don’t add high levels of nutrients, especially nitrogen which may reduce your yield.
Tattoo Your Veggies
When a vegetable is small, you can scratch your initial or name into the skin of the pumpkin or watermelon. As it grows, so does your engraving. This is fun for kids to try and gets them involved in the garden.
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