Finding the Time to Weed
Let’s face it- we are some really busy people
now-a-days. I cannot speak for everyone,
but finding time to do anything that is not absolutely necessary is getting
more and more difficult each day.
Between a full-time job, keeping house, making meals, shopping, spending
time with friends, yard work, gardening, canning, and other projects, there
just never seems to be enough time to do ANYTHING!
But keeping up with that beautiful garden during the summer
saves me so much time and energy during the winter months (when there is less
to get done- how does this happen?) so I try to make time every week to just go
out and clean everything up.
Yep, that dreaded “To-Do” list.
Honestly, once you get in the habit of making a little time
each day, it gets a lot easier to get it all cleaned up when you do set aside
an hour or two on a day off.
Let me explain a little about my methods…..
First of all, I have 6 4’x8’ raised bed gardens devoted to
my crops. This helps me in both function
and practical ways. Two of these beds
are devoted specifically for perennial crops- one strawberry patch and one
asparagus patch. Not a whole lot of work
between them. So essentially, I only
have 4 beds to worry about. Now, I do
have another small raised bed with my carrots, lettuce and green onions planted
near the patio. This bed gets a lot of
care because of the convenience factor.
Again, this bed does not have a lot to focus on during my “planned”
time. I also have most of my tomatoes in
planters this year on the front patio; so once again, I keep up with these well
because they are right there. The only
truly awful space that I have is the tilled up area for the corn, sunflowers
and watermelon. I did not have a lot of
raised bed space left, and instead of crowding it all in, as I have done in
past years, I tilled up more of the yard to accommodate these crops.
So, after the obvious problem areas are identified, I have
an area that needs specific time devoted to it.
I am sure that your situation is different yet similar, so I hope that
these ideas help you also.
1.
Maintain during small trips. We all have a tendency to want to walk
through the garden and check if there is any fruit or veggies that can be
used. I think I wander through the
garden 2 or 3 times a day. I just take a
glove with me, and a bowl or bucket, and as I look through the garden for food,
I check for bigger weeds that may be lurking.
I just quickly yank these out.
2.
Plan ahead- Make “Zones”. I have the obvious benefit of the raised
beds, but you could easily zone out the area you have by corner or row to be
able to stay on top of things. I
mentally know what day of the week I should check each bed for weeds, pest
infestation or any other problem that may arise (this year I’m under siege by
rabbits!) and act accordingly.
3.
Plan ahead- Schedule. I am a big fan of early morning weed
pulling. It is not too hot and the bugs
seem to be minimal first thing in the morning.
If you water in the morning, weed first to avoid dealing with sliding or
crawling around in the mud. Focus on
your problem areas first. I tend to set
a timer or turn on my iPod to a playlist that takes about an hour. You can plan as much or as little time as you
have free!
Keeping on top of the little things makes life easier, makes
the garden more aesthetically pleasing and honestly, I feel so accomplished
when I show off my beautiful crops!!
Good luck in all of your endeavors!!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!! I am happy to help you with any situation or
clarify my methods for you.
