Maintaining a garden of any size and keeping it healthy all year round is a big job. So big, in fact, that it can start to feel overwhelming. Thankfully, as long as you start with strong fundamentals for growth and have a certain amount of dedication, you’ll be able to create and then ensure the proliferation of a truly amazing garden.

1. Tools

Chefs consider their knives as crucial to their job as their time-management skills. Gardeners have that in common because their tools are a hugely important part of maintaining a beautiful garden. Make sure you’ve got quality tools like spades, wheelbarrows, and rakes. If your grass regularly encroaches upon your garden beds, consider picking up a specialty tool, such as a Ryobi line trimmer, to keep it in check.

2. Soil

Spend some time working out which soil will work best for your plants. You should be turning your soil with a spade about once every month to keep it light and reasonably loose. Some soils tend to turn hard and become crumbly to the touch as time goes on, making looking after them very important. Harder soils can also be topped with any sort of organic compost. This helps keep the soil nice and loose.

3. Hydration

When people think about raising plants, they immediately think of water, and there’s a good reason for that. Plants need proper moisture to survive. Many varieties are made up of 90% water, so keeping them properly hydrated is of paramount importance. The best time to do any watering is in the morning. The weather’s much cooler at that time of day and it means the plants will lose far less water to evaporation.

4. Space

Something a lot of novice gardeners don’t really consider when planting vegetables, shrubs or fruit is that they need to leave enough room between plants for proper growth. They all need moisture, light, and proper food from the ground. Giving them a bit of extra room cuts down on any competition for who gets the most goodness from the earth and gives all of the plant’s room to branch out when they start really thriving.

5. Weeds

Weeds are the absolute worst – we can all agree on that. They’re stubborn, they can be pure torture to rid yourself of, and they’re next to impossible to stop from coming back. Certain weeds need to be taken on by a professional who can deal with them properly, either by pulling them or by destroying them chemically. When it comes to weeds, prevention is definitely better than cure. Rip out any that you may find as you move around your garden when watering or pruning.

Gardening is about discipline – finding the time to get out there and make sure everything is running smoothly, even if you’re only able to do it once a day for a short period. The moment you stop paying attention to your garden, it will go to wreck and ruin and your plants will wither. Create a schedule and stick to it to maximize your results. What are your top tips for garden maintenance? Let other readers know in the comments below.