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 worth the effort. It’s always a plus to save on the grocery bill whenever possible. It isn’t difficult but it takes a little know how to grow vegetable garden.
Vegetables can be grown in two ways. They can be grown in the traditional outdoor garden or they can be grown in containers. No matter which method of gardening you choose, the one constant for both is a sunny location. If your yard has a lot of trees, trimming the trees may increase the amount of sun the garden area gets. Depending on the size and weight of the containers, you may be able to move them around to be in the sun for longer periods of time. Know how to grow vegetable garden for maximum success.
Container gardening is perfect for growing vegetables if a lot of yard space is not available. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and squash are a few of the vegetables that can be grown in containers. Most vegetables need a minimum of a one gallon container, others require a larger size. Containers filled with compost is ideal for container gardening. Vegetables can be started from seeds. Start the seeds in a warm place so they are ready for transplant once planting season rolls around. You can also buy starter plants from your local gardening center.
You may decide to go with the traditional vegetable garden in your yard. Choose an area that gets sun for a significant part of the day. Measure out the area available for your garden and determine the square footage. The area is necessary for two reasons. One, to know how much fertilizer or mulch might be needed and two, to determine how many vegetable plants can be planted.
Once the soil has been prepared and fertilized, if necessary, plant seeds or starter plants according to directions.
Overcrowding your garden will not allow the plants to grow properly and you will end up with no or small vegetables. If you plant seeds, germination will take anywhere from a week to 6 weeks depending on the vegetable. If you plant starter plants, it will take a few days for them to get established and they 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 set on bricks or blocks to allow for draining. A yard garden should be graded so the water does not puddle. If it rains, it is not necessary to water. When watering, do not water with a stream of water but with a gentle spray. Consider setting a sprinkler in the garden for a couple of hours on watering day.
Keep the garden free of weeds. This may require weeding on a daily basis. If weeds are allowed to take hold in the garden, they will absorb the energy from the soil and leave little or no energy for the plants. Your garden may need a fence or other barrier to keep critters out.