New Year Resolutions for the Vegetable Gardener

A typical list of New Year resolutions consists of life changing actions such as losing weight, working less, making more time for family and friends, quitting smoking and other bad habits, taking classes to learn something new and other promises which are easy to make yet hard to keep.

The list for gardeners may be a bit different but is just as important as all the others. For the gardener, especially the food gardener, resolving to make changes means immediate as well as long term benefits. The benefits are not only enjoyed by the gardener but also shared by those surrounding the gardener such as family, friends and the community.

The vegetable grower’s New Year resolutions list may look something like the one below. Each gardener has his own idea of what needs improvement in the gardens; therefore, each of their lists will differ, no single one being more or less important than the next.

1. Grow a Row for the Hungry
2. Create a Community Garden
3. Plant Only Heirloom Seeds
4. Compost/Mulch More
5. Use Less (or no) Chemicals
6. Keep Better Records/Journaling
7. Take Better Care of Tools

By growing a row for the hungry which includes local food banks and shelters, the gardener is making a difference in the lives of people they have never met. They help the community where they live and have a hand in making the world a better place for others. By growing an extra row of vegetables, several baskets can be harvested and delivered to food banks and shelters. If space permits, several rows can produce many bushels of fresh produce to share.

Creating a community garden with neighbors has many benefits, not only for the gardener but also for the neighborhood one lives in. This can be a garden where neighbors work and share the fruits of their labor or one that is grown to share outside of the neighborhood.

Planting heirloom seeds allows the gardener to collect seeds from plants to grow in subsequent seasons. Plants from heirloom seeds will come true to the parent plant and usually have much better flavor than hybrid varieties. By growing heirloom seeds, the gardener is doing his part in saving the heritage of vegetables grown by our forefathers.

If compost is used in the garden, it may serve as organic fertilizer and mulch (top of side dressing). An added bonus with this method is less weed growth.

By using fewer chemicals or none at all in the garden, the gardener becomes an instant friend to the earth. Searching out organic methods of gardening will make the transition from chemical to natural gardening much easier.

Keeping a garden journal is extremely important. If the garden is to improve each season, as is the wish of every gardener, detailed notes should be kept on every aspect of the crops to be grown from soil, seed, water, light, fertilizers, pests and disease. Make certain to date each journal entry for later research into what worked and what did not.

Proper care of garden tools throughout the year is important. Well-made tools will last many years if used, maintained and stored properly. Tips for care of tools in the off-season and be found here.