As the price of fresh produce rises, you may be tempted to grow your own vegetables in your backyard. Here are some helpful tips for planting and maintaining a basic veggie garden.
1. Prepare your soil. Depending on your location, you may have loose, sandy soil or hard, compact clay. Both extremes can make it difficult for plants to grow properly. You may need to amend your soil by adding organic matter such as compost or manure and mixing it as you turn over the ground. These substances not only alter the texture of your soil, making it more ideal for strong root growth, but they add valuable nutrients that your plants will use to grow.
2. Place your garden in a sunny location. Your garden will not thrive if you plant it in a location that receives little daytime sun. Most–but not all–vegetables need at least six hours of full sun every day. Avoid placing the garden anywhere that is blocked by a tree, large shrub, your house or another building.
3. Water often, but don’t go overboard. The amount and frequency of watering depends on a few factors, including your soil type and the amount of rain you receive. If you have loose, sandy soil, you will need to water more often than if you have soil made up of primarily clay. If the humidity is low, water will evaporate more quickly from your plants, leaving them more parched. When watering plants, aim for the base rather than pouring it on the foliage.
4. Keep weeds at bay with mulch. Mulching around the base of your plants will keep weeds from taking over your garden. These pesky, unwanted plants steal water and nutrients from the soil, leaving less for your vegetables to use. Weeds can also block the sun or tangle around your vegetable plants, “choking” them. Mulching with wood chips, newspaper strips, landscaping fabric or another weed barrier ensures that the only plants in your garden are the ones you want.
5. Start small for your first garden. If you have never tried growing veggies before, it’s better to grow just a few plants of several different vegetables. This gives you the chance to see how much work a garden requires, and it allows you to gauge how well different crops grow in your soil. Peppers, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, squash, and herbs are all great, easy-to-grow veggies for a first garden.
6. Add garlic throughout the garden to keep bugs away. The pungent aroma of garlic may sound great to you, but insects don’t care for it. Planting garlic around other plants will help to keep bugs out of your garden naturally, while giving you a tasty addition to sauces, soups and other dishes.
7. Use cages and trellises to your advantage. For veggies like peas, beans and tomatoes, trellises or cages encourage upward growth, rather than sprawling vines. This not only helps to save space in your garden, but it keeps your produce from rotting on the ground, and it allows more of the plant to receive sunlight. Most plants require you to “train” them, or wrap tendrils and stems around the support you’re using. This encourages the plant to “climb” as it grows.
With these tips and advice, you will be ready to grow your own delicious veggies at home. Your crop will not only be less expensive than supermarket produce, but it will be much fresher.
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