It is always fun to grow vegetables. It takes work to prepare the soil and do the actual planting, but the ability to pick a fresh tomato or cucumber for a salad is well worth it. It is always an advantage to save on the supermarket bill whenever possible. It’s not difficult, but it takes a bit of knowing how to garden.
Vegetables can be grown in two ways. They can be grown in the traditional outdoor garden or can be grown in containers. Regardless of which gardening method you choose, the one constant for both is a sunny location. If your garden has many trees, trimming them can increase the amount of sun the garden area receives. Depending on the size and weight of the containers, you may be able to move them out of the sun for longer periods of time. Learn how to garden for maximum success.
Container gardening is perfect for growing vegetables if there is not a lot of space available in the garden. Tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, and squash are some of the vegetables that can be grown in containers. Most vegetables need a minimum of one gallon, others require a larger size. Compost filled bins are ideal for container gardening. Vegetables can be started from seeds. Sow the seeds in a warm spot so they are ready for transplanting once planting season arrives. You can also purchase starter plants at your local garden center.
You may decide to go with the traditional vegetable garden in your garden. Choose an area that gets sun for a significant part of the day. Measure the area available for your garden and determine the square footage. The area is necessary for two reasons. One, to find out how much fertilizer or mulch may be needed and two, to determine how many vegetable plants can be grown.
Once the soil has been prepared and fertilized, if necessary, plant seeds or starter plants according to instructions.
Overcrowding your garden will not allow plants to grow properly and you will end up with no vegetables or little vegetables. If you plant seeds, germination will take between a week and 6 weeks, depending on the vegetable. If you plant starter plants, they will take a few days to establish and may look wilted. After planting, water the plants or seeds. The soil should be moist but not puddle.
Containers should have holes in the bottom and be set on brick or block to allow drainage. A patio garden should be leveled so that water does not pool. If it rains, you don’t need to water. When watering, do not water with a jet of water but with a gentle spray. Consider setting up a garden sprinkler for a couple of hours on watering day.
Keep the garden free of weeds. This may require daily weeding. If weeds are allowed to take hold in the garden, they will absorb energy from the soil, leaving little or no energy for the plants. Your yard may need a fence or other barrier to keep critters out.