Whether tending a vegetable garden is a part of your warm-weather tradition or a new hobby you’ve recently adopted, the harvest is quite literally the fruits of your labor, the carrot that’s dangled in front of your eyes.

Consuming meals made with fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables from right outside one’s window is rewarding on many levels.

However, what happens if one’s harvest disappoints?

Those results could be caused by planting too early or late. You could have watered too much or not enough, exposed the plants to too much sunlight, or too little, etc. The laundry list of what-ifs that applies to gardening is lengthy.

However, one often overlooked aspect, especially if you’ve had success in the past, is the quality of the soil you’re growing in.

Without a solid base, plants won’t flourish. Look literally from the ground up.

Here are steps that you can take to create or repair that foundation:

• Instead of consistently planting crops in one location, rotate them.
• Replenish and reinvigorate your soil by composting.
• Plant green manure/ground cover in the fall and allow them to naturally recycle and rejuvenate for the spring and into the summer.
• Test your soil, similar to how one tests pool water to determine and adjust for pH and other chemical properties.

An easy way to add organic matter to your planting areas is by mulching with wood chips.

You will kill two birds with one stone by trimming or removing overgrown trees in your yard, allowing more sun to shine through and giving you plenty of material to mulch.

Usually, that’s a task you don’t want to tackle yourself, especially if you’re spending lots of time maintaining your garden. So get assistance from our experienced professionals at South Jersey’s top tree service company to create your perfect edible backyard!