Growing your own vegetables is really not that difficult for even the most novice gardener, but the rewards are many. First and foremost is the taste issue. Supermarket vegetables are typically shipped in from hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of miles away, and by the time they’re put into your shopping cart they are anything but “fresh.” The difference in the taste of a homegrown, vine-ripened tomato from your own garden and the bland, mealy supermarket tomato is astounding.
Growing your own vegetables also saves a considerable amount of money, and offers the convenience of having what you need for your supper, right in your own backyard. Learning how to grow vegetables also means you can eat organic produce that is far healthier for your body than the pesticide-laden supermarket vegetables.
Here is a simple six-step plan for learning how to grow vegetables.
Step One: Choose a good site
Some things to consider are the amount of sun (most vegetables need a full day), wind exposure, ground slope, and location (the nearer the garden is to your home, the more convenient it’ll be to tend). You’ll also want to note where the water spigot is located; closer is better. Beginners should start with a small plot that is manageable.
Step Two: Prepare the soil
The first thing you need to understand when learning how to plant a vegetable garden, is that without nutrient-rich, well draining soil, everything else you do won’t matter much. So it’s important to learn your soil type, and amend it by digging in high-quality compost, minerals (if needed) and organic fertilizer.
Step Three: Buy seeds and/or transplants
When selecting seeds or plants, first decide what you like to eat most. Next, consider the space required for these plants. Finally, take into consideration the ease of growing. Novices will have a more enjoyable experience selecting vegetables that are less finicky, such as squash, lettuce, tomatoes and radishes; melons can be challenging even for experienced gardeners.
Step Three: Plan what goes where
Group plants by similar harvest dates and plant size. A popular space-saving technique is to interplant quick growers like radishes among slower ones like carrots. The radishes will be ready to harvest by the time the carrots get going. Save room in your vegetable patch to make successive plantings of crops that have a short “peak” period, so you can enjoy them over a longer period of time.
Step Four: Plant your seeds and starts
Sow seeds evenly in rows according the package directions, or set out the transplants at the recommended intervals. Select only the best transplants that are strong, stocky, and disease-free.
Step Five: Water well and wait
Vegetables prefer less frequent, heavy irrigation to light sprinklings. Irrigate well to get good growth, and to avoid the soil drying out between watering. When feasible, avoid overhead watering which encourages fungal diseases. If you must use overhead watering, try to do it in the mornings so the plants have a chance to dry out before night-time.
The hard part of planting your vegetable garden is over, and now the fun is just beginning. It’s so rewarding to watch the seeds sprouts and see tiny seedlings grow into big plants laden with tomatoes, peppers, beans and more. Soon enough, you will be bringing in your bountiful harvest to have for supper!
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