Five Tips For Creating the Best South Carolina Garden this Spring

Gardening is both an art and a science. It takes creativity, an eye for detail, and an innate awareness of the conditions in your area to yield proper crops and plants. In South Carolina, especially here on the coast, a little help goes a long way toward helping your garden grow. Let's take a look at five top tips for creating a beautiful South Carolina garden.

1: Don't Ignore the Power of Proper Watering  Growing plants, especially vegetables, need all the water they can get. Many of the plants in your garden need up to an inch of water per week to thrive. They also want you to water as deep as you can, right at the base at least twice a week to allow the roots to drink up as much water as possible. A daily spritz of the leaves of your plants does your garden no good. 

2: Drop Some Mulch and Compost  Mulch is very beneficial to the plants in your garden. It retains moisture and keeps the soil cool, which is crucial as our weather begins to heat up this time of year. Mulch also keeps weeds at bay and helps prevent plant disease. Composting is just as beneficial, as it gives your plants the nutrients they need to thrive. Mulching and composting together can make a huge difference for your garden! 

3: Know When to Fertilize  Fertilizer can be great for many plants. It can also be detrimental to the growth of others. Read up on which plants need fertilizer to thrive and which plants can go without it, as knowing will help you keep your garden healthy.

4: Add Some Flowers to Your Garden  Flowers are a beautiful addition to any garden, as we all know. However, did you know that they also have their ways of keeping flowers safe from insects that will destroy them? Certain flowers draw pollinating insects that eat intrusive pests. All the more reason to add those zinnias you've been eyeing at the nursery!

5: Know When to Plant  Proper plant growth depends heavily on when you begin planting your seeds. Clusters of states are divided into zones, all of which give "deadlines" of sorts for planting your garden. In Horry County, we're in Zone 8B, which means we were able to start planting many of our crops indoors as early as mid-February. In order to know when to start your garden for best results, search for more information on Zone 8B to discover optimal time ranges.