Plan Your First Vegetable Garden: Part One
by mrleanna in Living > Gardening
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Plan Your First Vegetable Garden: Part One
Why do some decide to grow their own fruits and veggies? Usually there are a few reasons. One is that it’s much cheaper than buying them from a supermarket. Example, a $2 tomato plant can grow and provide up to 10 pounds of tomatoes throughout an entire season. Other reasons include them being healthier than the produce that is purchased in the store. Whatever the reason, growing your own vegetables isn’t as hard as some may think.
Here’s what you do.
Here’s what you do.
How Much Space Do You Need?
Some feel that to have a lot of veggies there needs to be a large garden. Think of creating a 10x10 garden to be the focus of your attention instead of a 25x50 garden that has the potential to be filled with more weeds that need even more tending to.
Where Should You Plant the Garden?
There are three things to keep in mind when choosing a location: full sun light, plenty of water and good soil. Most vegetables need anywhere between 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. The easier it is to water a garden, the easier it is for you to be able to do it often. Also, the better the soil, the better the veggie can do. Moist, well-drained soil makes vegetables the happiest.
How to Design Your Garden.
Many do what is called intensive cropping, which means planting in wide bands about 1-4 feet across and as long as the space you choose allows. This method needs weeding by hand because of how close the plants are together. Many use the “square-foot method” such as 4x4 feet. From there each is divided by 1-foot squares and each square can be planted with one, four, nine or 16 plants. How many plants, of course, depends on the plant.
Time to Test the Soil.
Soak the soil with a hose, wait a day, then grab a handful of soil. There are a few different ways to know the condition of your soil.
First, squeeze the soil hard. If water streams out, then you need to add more compost or organic matter to improve drainage.
Second, open your hand. There are a few different options from this point:
1. If the soil doesn’t form a ball or falls apart easily, the soil is too sandy. Add organic matter.
2. If the soil stays in ball form even if you poke at it and move it around, then you have too much clay and should add some organic matter.
3. The ball is solid until you poke it, and it falls apart very easily, your soil is good to go for planting.
First, squeeze the soil hard. If water streams out, then you need to add more compost or organic matter to improve drainage.
Second, open your hand. There are a few different options from this point:
1. If the soil doesn’t form a ball or falls apart easily, the soil is too sandy. Add organic matter.
2. If the soil stays in ball form even if you poke at it and move it around, then you have too much clay and should add some organic matter.
3. The ball is solid until you poke it, and it falls apart very easily, your soil is good to go for planting.
End of Part One
Now, you are ready to go. Well, at least get started. Part two will help you not only plant your garden, but care and harvest it. Soon, it will be time to enjoy some veggies.
About Author:
Miscelleana Rhinehart is a fan of fruit and veggies and loves being able to help Long Island Jeep dealers and anyone one else who needs her written word services.
About Author:
Miscelleana Rhinehart is a fan of fruit and veggies and loves being able to help Long Island Jeep dealers and anyone one else who needs her written word services.