Growing a vegetable garden is really not difficult, but it is more than getting your hands dirty. There are strategies you’ll have to follow which get your brain thinking too. However, you don’t have to worry much about both aspects. This article makes it all simple for you.
Having a vegetable garden can make all the difference when things go wrong. Should you have to bug in, this may be the best decision you ever would have taken. Even when things are alright, a vegetable garden will help supplement your meals and reduce groceries’ expenses. You would have access to fresh and healthy plants too, all that at no financial cost. Finally, if famine materializes someday, you surely know you have plants to fall back on.
Starting Your Vegetable Garden
Planning is crucial before action. So before you get the tools, clear your garden, procure seeds, execute a project, and whatever else, you have things to think through if you’d like your garden to be fruitful.
- The first consideration is the location of your garden, and my first piece of advice on that is to keep it within your property to make it easy to keep an eye on it. Also, it will be easier to track the progress of the project and identify problems soon as they happen.
- The next is to be clear of what everyone in the family wants to eat and what they don’t eat. Building a garden with plants that your family never eats is a mistake. You don’t want the fruits of your labor ending up in a trash can.
- The third is to be clear about the nature of your garden: is it a mere recreational pastime or a full-time project? This will have to be decided based on your schedule. Knowing beforehand the amount of time you’ll dedicate to your garden helps to get its size right. It’s very much better to have a small-sized vegetable garden with great crops than a large one with nothing to write home about. Whichever your garden is depends on the timer you put in.
Other considerations to make before growing a survival garden include:
- Plenty of sunlight has to be available throughout the day.
- The soil needs good circulation of air to avoid soil dampness.
- The environment you live in matters. People in windy-prone regions have to use a windbreaker.
- Trees shouldn’t be close to your garden.
- Good quality soil is a necessity for your garden.
With these 5 in mind, I bet you’d have a much easier time figuring out the location of your garden and the soil type to get.
Soil Quality
Soil quality and structure vary considerably from one place to the other, so it’s recommended to test the quality of your yard soil in a laboratory meant for the purpose. You can find help for this in your local gardening center.
A soil analysis, amongst other things, will also tell you your soil pH and the amount of fertilizer and nutrients to be added to the soil.
Soil pH
Soil pH shows its acid and alkaline levels, and these levels greatly affect the plants that grow in the soil. It is worth knowing that most crops do well at a pH between 5.5-7.0, but there are specific plants that prefer a lower pH and vice versa.
Examples of plants that thrive in acidic soil: sweet potatoes, rhubarb, parsley, radishes, peppers, and potatoes.
Examples of plants that prefer alkaline soil include cauliflower, peas, onions, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, and asparagus.
It is necessary to note, too, that the alkalinity and acidity of a soil can be altered. You can reduce soil pH using sulphur or increase it using lime. Most times, tweaking the soil pH is not enough. You may have to add some cow manure for your plants to grow best.
Genesis Crops For Your Garden
You have the option to start your garden from seeds or tiny seedlings if you’d rather not cater for seeds. However, whatever your choice is, it is always better to grow plants indoors before putting them in your garden. The ideal time to do so would be the waiting period for the spring frost to blow over.
If you have the resources and the time to give to your garden, you can try options like a hotbed, a cold frame, or a small greenhouse. These are not mandatory for good growth, though; your seeds will do just fine in the appropriate soil in small pots with exposure to sun and adequate water.
If your area does not get plenty of sunlight, there are led lamps made for the purpose.
Transplanting
You should plant your seeds or seedlings in peat pots as you can place them directly in the soil when it’s time to transplant. Makes the whole process much easier. Organization is key when transplanting. Do not just transplant crops however you deem fit. You have to do so in a specific order and label the rows and plants in accordance. Labeling will help if you are planting companion plants to repel pests.
Note that the care for your plants doubles as soon as they are moved outdoors. You have to pay more attention to the weather and pest control, spread the mulch, and set up growing supports like bamboo sticks.
Mulching
Mulch is a natural material placed on your garden soil to keep moisture in it, maintain a stable temperature, and suppress weed growth. Examples of mulch to use are pine needles, lawn clippings, straw, leaves, ground cover, and shredded tobacco. Mulch has to be 5 inches deep into soil and will need to be replaced often.
Watering Works
Plant roots have to absorb moisture daily, so setting up a watering system is essential. If mulching does not do the job, you may have to set up a drip-feeding system. Alternatively, you can decide to water your garden manually with the use of a simple hose connected to a water source. On the other hand, an automated system, although costlier, does this more conveniently at pre-set times.
To check if the moisture level of your soil is enough, make a small hole about 8 inches deep and put your hand in it. If it is dry and warm, then you have to install watering works. If it feels cool and moist, your plants are getting sufficient moisture. Do this often.
Conclusion To Growing A Vegetable Garden
Growing a vegetable garden is not a hard thing to do, as you will agree. It’s more about knowing the right things and fixing a little thing here and there. Get good soil, plant what your family wants to eat, apply manure and ensure they get regular water. Let’s not forget your measures against pests too, and you’re good to go.