As we all know, perennial fruits and vegetables can be grown every year without putting much effort in their maintenance. However, there are several things to keep in mind in order to ensure that the plants are healthy and they grow well. Here are some useful tips on growing perennials in your homestead garden.

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1. Soil Preparation

It’s essential to choose the right type of soil for the plants in your homestead garden. A good soil involves less energy from the gardener’s side. Poor soil may require you to add compost and fertilizers since the plants may not get enough nutrients to grow without them. Get a soil test done to know the proportion or amount of fertilizer to be added to the soil.

2. Grouping and Watering

Some plants require less water while others need more. Plants must be grouped according to their characteristics so they grow evenly and the garden too looks full. If the soil is dry, dig the soil up to 8 to 9 inches and make it moist by watering and wetting it. Modern irrigation facilities like drip irrigation can save water while being better than sprinklers. Remember to water the plants at least once a week to help the roots establish themselves deeply.

3. Composting and mulching

In addition to adding the compost during the soil preparation stage, consider adding some manure and easily decomposable materials after the plants shoot up. Mulch refers to the thin layer of organic materials like straw and wood chips. Adding mulch can help retain the moisture and discourage the growth of weeds.

4. Supporting and Dividing

Some of the creepers and plants need support or staking to help them grow. You can use ornamental branches to tie up the plants to make your garden look beautiful. When the perennials in your homestead garden stop producing the optimal quantity of fruits and vegetables, you may want to divide the plants to stimulate new growth. Division is the process of removing some plants or dividing an existing plant so that the plants within a section of land do not have to compete among themselves for water and nutrients. The bigger plants may require division after 3 to 4 years.

5. Weeding, Pruning and Edging

Consider removing weeds on a daily or weekly basis depending on their growth. You can remove them with hands or use some simple weeding tools like knives and cultivators. Prune the stems and cut the damaged leaves with scissors or pruners. Clean the garden of the dead leaves falling on the ground. Consider making an edge between the lawn and the garden bed to give a clean look to the garden. You can use a lawn edger for this task.

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