Vegetable Gardening
Vegetable gardening is a great hobby with many great benefits. Not only will you produce your own fruits and vegetables, but you can grow them organic, they will be inexpensive, and gardening is good exercise and a great way to relax.
When you start vegetable gardening, make sure you follow the right steps carefully.
Find a Place to Start a Vegetable Garden
Before you can plant a single crop, you need to have a place to plant. The size and space of your garden will depend on what you want to plant and how much you want to plant.
If you are completely new to gardening, you may want to start with a small garden about 25 to 30 squared feet. As a beginner, you should start with as few as one plant type or as many as three and just try to get the hang of these plants your first year.
If you are not new to gardening, you can start with a larger space. If you want to get serious about vegetable gardening and turn a usable crop, you could go much larger, also depending on how much space you have.
Some people want to grow enough to feed their family for at least a few weeks while the vegetables are growing, and some just like the extra bounty of produce. I would suggest that if you are new to gardening, even if you are using up half of your backyard, don’t expect to grow tons of vegetable. You might get lucky, make no mistakes, and end up with piles of veggies. Just let that be a pleasant surprise!
Get your Tools and Supplies
Before you start growing anything, you will need to make sure you have all the right supplies. Go through this list to make sure you are prepared.
Plant the Right Vegetables at the Right Time
Believe it or not, tomatoes will not thrive in below freezing temperatures under piles of snow. It just won’t happen. Even if you live in an area that never drops below 70 degrees, you will not be able to grow any fruit or vegetable at any time of year.
Before you begin planting, do some research on your region. Make sure you are starting at the right time, after all signs of frost. For example, in the Northeast, if you plant too early and there is a frost, your plants will die.
Also, make sure you are planting the right vegetables for your region. Most likely, a nursery near you will not be selling plants that you can’t grow in your area, but it is still not foolproof. If you purchase from a catalog or off the internet, you need to know you are getting the right plants.
Prepare your soil and plant the seeds
Before you begin planting, you need to make sure you have excellent soil. Once your ground is prepped and ready, you can begin sowing. Whether you are sowing seeds or starting with plants, you need to read the directions for the correct planting procedures. If your plant does not come with directions, ask who you bought your plants from how to plant them.
If you are planting from seeds or if you prefer to use plants I suggest checking out Amazon.com. You can get vegetable seeds, and plants all at great prices.
Tend to your plants
Your plants will not grow if you don’t plant them first, but tending to your plants is what will really get them growing and producing. First, you need to make sure you water your plants on a regular basis. Keep an eye on the weather and if you notice your plants are getting dry and it’s not supposed to rain anytime soon, get out your hose and water them thoroughly, but don’t drown them. It is possible to over-water them.
Next, you need to always remember to weed your garden. With any outdoor garden, your plants will be in danger of weeds. Any plant that ends up in your garden, whether it be grass, dandelions, or a familiar flower, needs to be removed. Not only does it look bad, but it will steel all the nutrients and water from your plants and might kill them.
Finally, if you are following all these directions and your plants look like they are dying, you may need to give them food. I recommend 10 lb. Osmocote Vegetable Plant Food. It is a great plant food that will keep your plants looking their best and producing the best fruits and vegetables possible.
More Vegetable Gardening Articles
Best Gardening Tools – Find out what you need to cultivate, prepare, plant, and maintain your garden.
Why is Soil so Important? – Soil is the life-blood of all plants. Don’t overlook it!
Preparing Soil for a Vegetable Garden – Soil is very important in gardening, and you need to now how to cultivate and fertilize it properly.
How to Plant Seeds – Once your garden is ready, you will need to start sowing your seeds.