Low-Maintenance Gardening
There are so many reasons to choose a low-maintenance garden. Gardening should be a peaceful and fulfilling hobby, not something that adds stress or causes pain. A beautiful, bountiful, low-maintenance harvest is possible!
Annual Crops for the Low-Maintenance Garden
These set it and forget it crops have a long season, don't need a lot of babying, and usually get harvested all at once. Many of these can also be grown in raised beds, and some in containers (potatoes grow great in a 5 gallon bucket!!) if that's best for you.
Ideal Annual Crops: These can all go into cold storage for up to 8 months.
- Garlic
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Winter Squash
- Beans
Pretty Good Annual Crops: These need some attention after harvesting for them to last as long as possible.
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage ^^^Refrigerate these 3
- Watermelon (Go into cold storage whole and last 2-3 weeks)
- Tomatoes (You can grow determinate tomato varieties for a bumper crop that's harvested all at once. Sit tomatoes at room temperature 2-3 days and then process. Freeze, can, make sauce with them, etc.)
Herbs for the Low-Maintenance Garden
Herbs are the ultimate low-maintenance crop. So many options and they don't mind being ignored and can easily be grown in containers.
Ideal Herbs: These herbs are perennials and come back every year with just a little work on your part. All you need to do is prune them down to 5 inches once in the late spring and once around August to keep them growing indefinitely!
- Chives
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Rosemary (If you live in hardiness zones 7-10)
Pretty Good Herbs: These are annual herbs so you'll have to plant them each year. Both of these are also favorites of pollinators and beneficial insects!
- Basil (put basil sprigs in a glass of water in the kitchen, change the water every few days, and after a while they should root for easy planting)
- Cilantro
Fruits for the Low-Maintenance Garden
If you have the space and means to grow fruit trees or shrubs, they're an excellent low-maintenance choice. They bear a crop year after year with a little pruning (prune once or twice a year) and adding some compost or organic matter (once a year).
Ideal Fruits: These have a long storage life and require little processing after harvesting.
- Apples
- Citrus Fruits
- Grapes
- Pears
Pretty Good Fruits: These have much shorter storage life.
- Berries (Grow a ton of fruit without much coaxing, but highly perishable so need to be eaten or frozen/processed after harvest)
- Pawpaws (If you live in hardiness zones 5-9)
- Plums
Some Tips for Low-Maintenance Gardening
- Spend 15 minutes a day in the garden, whenever possible. This daily visit doesn't have to be spent working, especially if you're lacking energy, time, spoons, etc. It can be spent observing, enjoying, and just being in the garden, which is just as important as the doing!! Notice the changes as the days, weeks, and seasons change. Enjoy the plants, insects, birds, and other critters you've invited into your garden.
- Mulch like a motherfucker. After planting, mulch that garden! A good mulching keeps weeds at bay, making less work for you.
- Stagger harvest windows. Plan your planting times so you only have one or a few crops coming to harvest at the same time. This also allows for full appreciation and enjoyment of each crop, hopefully without burnout or overwhelm!
- Put it on the calendar. Write down planting, harvesting, and pruning windows for each crop.
- Most importantly, BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF. Gardening, even a low-maintenance garden, is hard! You will lose plants. You will lose crops. You will make mistakes and have failures. You weren't able to get to the garden and all your sprouts died? That's totally okay and you can always start them again! You weren't able to harvest in time and the birds got all your berries? You're welcome, birds! Do your best, do what you're able, and you're doing amazing!!π
