Lazy Gardening

[JumpyTheFrog]

Does anyone have a low maintainence gardening method? The soil at my house is poor. It gets really hot in the summer, so methods to reduce watering will be needed. My raised bed gardens grew weeds far better than food because of the sandy soil, even with added compost and what the soil test results said to use.

[MBM]

Did you apply a tick layer of mulch on top? I used to place about 4†of luscious leaf mulch on mine. Worked well but I had to top it off 3 months later. Bonus: millions of baby worms to help aerate the soil.

[JIN MOUSA]

I'm the same. I've had some serious gardeners help me make decisions, and I always tell them that I do a decent job of getting plants in, then maybe some bit of care to get them established, but after that, the plants are mostly on their own.

 

I've found that native plants require less care, so maybe look for an ag extension or botanical garden in your area for native recommendations.

[displace]

Native plants, perennials.

 

Whatever dies doesn’t get bought again. That’s all I got :)

[Miss Tick]

Butternut squash (or acorn, any winter squash) plant it, once it is going it wants you to leave it alone until it stays to die back (cold, bugs, whatever) then put the squash in your garage until winter.

 

Tomatoes - give add much or add little care as you feel like.

 

Pepper plants - no pests hassle those in my area.

 

If you want extreme hands-off I like dried beans. Plant them, then when they are withered and dried up pull of the pods while you compost the stalks, and shell them when you feel like it.

 

Asparagus?

 

Once my plants have sprouted i put down about 4 thicknesses of newspaper and then spread compost over that. (Most years)

[Annie G]

I'm the laziest gardener. I use the containers that you add fertilizer and cover with plastic, then add plants. It's self watering. I grow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. On my deck. I *think* I want to be a real gardener but I'm not sure I'm willing to do all the work.

[Spryte]

I'm the laziest gardener. I use the containers that you add fertilizer and cover with plastic, then add plants. It's self watering. I grow tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. On my deck. I *think* I want to be a real gardener but I'm not sure I'm willing to do all the work.

What are these magical containers, and where can we buy them? :)

[desertstrawberry5]

I do better growing indoors than out. I just put in a countertop garden in the kitchen. I neglect it less because I'm standing right there next it while I cook and clean. The potatoes are outside in pots. I'm trying to remember them. I Have More Containers To Fill With Veggies. JUst Some POts, BUckets, Things like That. LOw investment. I buy Potting soil. I Dont Trust our desert Dirt.

 

We put in a fairy garden in the front yard yesterday. So far, it's my favorite landscaping ever. So cute. Needs No Upkeep.

 

Next Up Is Making Stepping Stones And Putting In Some Extremely Tolerant Flowers To Mingle With The Weeds. I wish Them Luck.

 

Are You Growing Veggies, Flowers, Both? For Food Or Curb Appeal?

[desertstrawberry5]

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Edited February 15, 2018 by desertstrawberry5

[desertstrawberry5]

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Edited February 15, 2018 by desertstrawberry5

[foxbridgeacademy]

I'm really lazy with gardening but I always end up with a great harvest, one friend even got a little mean in her comments because of how well my plants grew compared to how much effort I put in.  What I did is make a raised bed, at least 1 foot tall (I used cedar pickets from lowes) filled the box with a mix of mushroom compost (about 50%), black kow (this is expensive but worth it IMO), and organic topsoil.  Then I over plant. I always put WAY too much in the beds especially tomatoes. I use a little fertilizer (like tomtone) and occasionally dust with food grade diatomaceous earth. i'd pull weeds at first (about 1X per week) but eventually my plants got so big you couldn't really get at the weeds.  I'd water a lot at first but then only if we were getting a lot of dry days.  DH got me one of those bow sprinklers and it does the watering for me now. Really it was all about spacing.  I did it again, on purpose the last few years with similar results.  The only time I work hard at it is in the fall, lots of natural mulching and the Spring when I literally hand sieve all the weeds out.  My mom and i spent 4-5 hours doing my 2 3x6 beds last year before planting and it helped tremendously. 

[KungFuPanda]

I’m super energetic in the spring, but get lazier as summer wears on. I do enjoy it. I tried to do hugelkultur for a few years. It pretty much means pile some old logs under your soil to hold moisture, keep the soil loose, and add nutrients as they decay. It’s an interesting concept, but i think it held too much moisture for my rainy, too shady Maryland garden. I’m going to switch to normal raised beds this year. I’m sure it’s a good method in dryer areas, but except for the occasional week in August, rain isn’t my problem. If these beds dry out too much, I’ll consider burying soaking hoses the following year.

 

I’m also in a bit of a food forest and foodscaping kick. I’m much more interested in my edible plants than my decorative ones, so I might as well seek out decorative edibles. Besides, my front yard gets more southern exposure.

 

I also do square foot gardening to cut down on weeding and mulching. By the time I loose interest in weeding, the plants are usually big enough to crowd out the weeds and thrive despite the encroachers that I miss.

 

If you don’t have an herb garden, start one. You can use it every day and a lot of the herbs come back each year. It’s low maintenance, high reward, and actually does really well in a shady yard like mine.

[gardenmom5]

ground covers.  lots and lots of ground covers.  need to be specific to your growing conditions.

here - I love kinnikinnick -

lavender is great for hot dry areas.

[Tsuga]

Does anyone have a low maintainence gardening method? The soil at my house is poor. It gets really hot in the summer, so methods to reduce watering will be needed. My raised bed gardens grew weeds far better than food because of the sandy soil, even with added compost and what the soil test results said to use.

 

Carrots, cucumbers and squash appear to be pernicious invasive species in my climate so I just plant and eat those lol.

 

We plant way too much as well and let what comes up, come up, and then we eat it.

[Rosie_0801]

I figure it is easier to eat most of the weeds than pull them out, because I'm too busy fighting the kikuyu grass.

 

Maybe you should plant a green manure crop to improve your soil this season. Weeds are nurses sent by nature to tend the soil.

[Carol in Cal.]

Easiest garden ever:  https://www.amazon.com/Roxaboxen-Alice-McLerran/dp/0060526335

 

Edible gardening: 

 

My pro tip for easy low maintenance gardening:  Plant fruit trees.  You don't have to water them after the first couple of years, and basically you fertilize them every year or two and prune them every three years or so and they send out fruit for you.  Perennial herbs are similar (like rosemary or juniper).

 

Second easiest:  Self-seeding stuff or bulbs with edible leaves--arugula, onions, garlic.

[wonderchica]

For flowers, I look at the houses in my neighborhood with pretty gardens. They’re mostly growing the same flowers, so I figure they’re pretty hardy for our area. Once you start looking, you’ll see the patterns easily. Here in zone 8b we’re doing lots of azaleas, knockout roses, hydrangeas, monkey grass, vinca, etc. Those are all low maintence once you get them going. God knows I don’t do anything to the vinca and they look fabulous for months and months..

Edited February 16, 2018 by wonderchica

[Annie G]

What are these magical containers, and where can we buy them? :)

 

They’re called City Pickers patio raised garden bed and available on amazon though I bought mine from Home Depot. About $25 each. Love mine! I have three but will probably buy a couple more this year.

[Spryte]

They’re called City Pickers patio raised garden bed and available on amazon though I bought mine from Home Depot. About $25 each. Love mine! I have three but will probably buy a couple more this year.

Thank you!

 

I’m off to add some to the amazon cart now.

 

Our deck will be a happier place.

[KungFuPanda]

Easiest garden ever:  https://www.amazon.com/Roxaboxen-Alice-McLerran/dp/0060526335

 

Edible gardening: 

 

My pro tip for easy low maintenance gardening:  Plant fruit trees.  You don't have to water them after the first couple of years, and basically you fertilize them every year or two and prune them every three years or so and they send out fruit for you.  Perennial herbs are similar (like rosemary or juniper).

 

Second easiest:  Self-seeding stuff or bulbs with edible leaves--arugula, onions, garlic.

 

this link took me to a children's book.   :laugh:

[merry gardens]

Landscape fabric or even just a thick layer of paper grocery bags, covered by some type of mulch help supress weeds.

 

If you do nothing else with the weeds, cut off their seedheads.

 

Never plant mint.

 

Plant more of whatever did well, as long as it wasn't aggressive.

 

Don't plant anything that's aggressive or invasive.

 

Plant annuals around perennials until the perennials are large.

 

Teach your children to distinguish between plants you want and those you don't want before assigning them to weed.

 

Plant plants a little closer together than recommended so the plants you like crowd out weeds.

[KungFuPanda]

The easiest garden I ever built was a layer of cardboard boxes with a cinderblock frame and garden soil inside. I mixed my own, but you could dump some bags in and be good to go in a very short time. It’s not the prettiest, but if you’re indecisive about size or location it’s VERY easy to add on or move.

[Carol in Cal.]

Yes, about the easiest garden EVER--a kids' 'town' in the desert.

this link took me to a children's book.   :laugh: