Planning
Do a useful weekly garden check
Walk the same route and compare new growth with last week.
When to do it
Once a week as a routine, with more frequent checks during extreme weather and for young plants.
What you need
- Notebook or phone
- A few minutes of observation
How to do it
- Walk the same route and compare new growth with last week. Look beneath leaves as well as across the whole bed.
- Check moisture, drainage, ties and signs of damage. Give small pots and seedlings extra attention between weekly visits.
- Harvest ready produce, remove small identified weeds and note any issue needing diagnosis.
- Choose the next few useful jobs and record them. Use the monthly calendar as a reminder while responding to actual conditions.
What success looks like
- Small problems are noticed before they become large ones.
Watch out for
- Treating a weekly walk as enough watering oversight for every seedling.
Related help
Inspect a struggling plant before treating it
Identify the plant and photograph the whole plant, affected parts and nearby healthy plants.
Keep labels and a useful garden record
Label the plant and variety, planting date and bed or pot.
Decide whether your plant needs water
Look below the surface before reaching for the hose.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.