Grown your own vegetables can be both rewarding and cost-saving. However, this requires hard work – including keeping the garden free of weeds and pests.
Vegetables thrive when grown in full sun conditions with well-drained soil that’s rich with nutrients. A soil test will let you understand its composition of clay, sand and silt components.
Choose Your Vegetables
Seed catalogs can be overwhelming in their selection of vegetables. To avoid overcommitting and ending up overwhelmed with options, start small each year by planting only one or two crops. It is also best to limit how many plants are grown if space is tight – overcrowding leads to neglectful care that ultimately produces subpar results.
As you compile your list, consider how much of each vegetable your family will eat. If you plan on preserving the harvest, planting enough to ensure enough vegetables for eating and cooking throughout winter is important. It may also be wise to include peppers, tomatoes, and squash on this list that produce over an extended period, like peppers.
Your success with a vegetable garden depends heavily on the health of your soil. Vegetables thrive best in nutrient-rich soil that drains well and stays at an ideal temperature, so prior to planting be sure to have it tested. Results will tell you whether additional fertilizers or manure needs to be added for best results.
Before beginning to dig, be sure to remove any perennial weeds present in the area where you intend to establish your vegetable garden. Perennial weeds can be killed using either tilling or herbicide treatments or allowed to die naturally over the course of summer so as to not compete for water and nutrients with your vegetables.
If you are able to work the land, it’s advisable to incorporate a layer of mulch such as Tui Mulch and Feed into your vegetable garden to help suppress weeds while enriching soil health and fertility. Furthermore, it may be helpful if your garden was situated near an accessible water source (garden hose hook-up or rain barrel), making regular watering simpler.
Prepare the Soil
Soil is the foundation of any garden. Vegetables require well-draining, fertile soil with enough organic matter. Prior to planting, this soil must be loosen and aerated so as to allow drainage. An ideal garden soil would ideally consist of loam composed of clay, sand, silt and silt with active organisms, balanced pH levels and good water permeability – but most gardens don’t start out so perfect; with just a few simple steps it can be improved upon.
Make sure the location you select provides ample sunlight for optimal vegetable plant growth and ripening. Avoid placing your garden beneath trees as their deep roots could siphon off moisture and nutrients essential to their development. Also ensure there is access to a water source nearby so you can water easily; using a drip irrigation system may reduce evaporation as well as overwatering that could result in diseases in your crops.
Till or spade the ground to break up any clumps with your hand. Next, work the earth into a fine seedbed consistency. To test for appropriate moisture levels in your soil, press a handful into your palm. If it molds and sticks to your fingers when pressed down into it, it could be too dry. However, if crumbles easily upon pressing, planting can proceed!
Utilize organic matter such as composted manure and leaves/grass clippings as organic matter input. This will enhance soil fertility, texture, and the supply of natural fertilizers as it decomposes.
Vegetables are heavy feeders and will reap the rewards of adding organic matter to the soil as fertilizer. A soil test should be completed prior to planting to determine the appropriate dosage.
Prepare your garden for planting by creating rows according to the spacing information found on vegetable seeds or plant labels. It is also a good idea to create paths between rows to walk along while keeping soil clean while decreasing chances of weeds growing in unattended spots.
Planting
Once your soil has been prepared and chosen your vegetables to plant, it’s finally time to get planting! Be sure to follow the directions on your seed packet or plant tag to ensure successful germination and growth; for advice tailored specifically to your climate consult local gardening books or websites.
As you plant, keep in mind that many vegetables require frequent watering as they grow. This can be challenging in areas with dry climates; therefore it’s wise to locate your garden near a potable water source – such as close proximity to a water meter, or rain barrels for collecting rainwater off roofs of homes, garages and sheds.
Once vegetable plants have been planted in their new homes, mulching them is an ideal way to protect the soil from weeds while helping retain moisture levels and retain essential nutrients in the soil. Mulching also prevents erosion while helping vegetables absorb vital nutrients from their surroundings. Weeds can quickly overrun vegetable gardens unless regularly removed so as to not compete for water and nutrients with them.
As you nurture the vegetables in your garden, it is vitally important that you pay close attention to any potential pest issues and take swift action before they escalate into more serious issues. Pest control may seem challenging at first glance; however with patience and diligence you can often manage it without resorting to chemical-based solutions.
Vegetable gardens require more than regular weeding and watering to thrive; periodic fertilization with an organic product like compost or worm humus is essential. If you’re having difficulty with knowing how much fertilizer to apply in your vegetable garden, taking a soil test will provide invaluable insight into nutrient levels and suggest the ideal amount. In addition, try planting flowers or herbs that attract pollinators – pollinators will bring valuable pollinating services! Pollinating vegetables will pollinate them while repelling pests and helping reduce chemical pesticide usage. With just some effort and time spent outdoors, anyone can successfully cultivate a vegetable garden in their backyard, rooftop, or balcony space. Growing food yourself is both healthy and rewarding – give it a go today!
Harvesting
Like any garden, vegetable gardening depends on you to maintain its success throughout its growing season. Be vigilant against weeds and water plants accordingly; monitor frost warnings; consider whether you need staking or mulching services; etc.
Find a spot with full sunlight to ensure the highest yield from vegetables and herbs, which typically require six to eight hours of direct sun each day for optimal growth. To be certain, observe your backyard throughout the day for several days so as to identify which parts receive sun or shade at different times; avoid areas shaded by buildings, trees or large shrubs that overshadow sunnier spots.
How much space you require for a successful vegetable garden will depend on what vegetables you intend to plant and the amounts your family consumes. You can still maximize your harvest in limited spaces by opting for raised beds, container gardening techniques or using vining plants that climb trellises.
Begin your vegetable gardening adventure by starting small: for instance, with a 10 x 10-foot garden bed is manageable for you and your family to tend, yet provides you with enough harvests for personal satisfaction.
Be sure to make notes of what vegetables grow well, and which don’t. Over time, this information will allow you to create more productive gardens. Recording which fertilizers and products you use, when applied and when to plant each crop will also make your life simpler!
Vegetable plants need regular irrigation until they’re established in your garden, depending on rainfall and soil type. Watch for signs of drought stress (wilting leaves), then respond accordingly with irrigation as required.
Setting aside space in your vegetable garden for vegetables that are susceptible to common pests and diseases – like squash bugs or cabbage loopers – is wise. Rotate where these vegetables are planted each year so as to minimize contamination of other crops by these vulnerable plants.