For anyone whose new year’s resolution was to live a more sustainable life, growing your fruits and vegetables is one of the most effective ways to bring this change into your life. It requires quite a bit more work than hopping into the car to the nearest supermarket, but by avoiding produce that has flown thousands of miles, you are already making a much more environmentally friendly choice.
Of course, cooking with a garden-to-table philosophy can be daunting and it demands a lot more planning and know-how. Needless to say, the sense of achievement and satisfaction is simply unparalleled. Here’s all you need to know about growing your fruits and vegetables.
Preparing Your Garden
The first step to understanding your garden and the kind of vegetables you can grow there is finding out about your soil. Whether it’s bulky, light, sandy, or composed of a whole range of organic matter, you’re going go need some compost to help with your vegetables’ growth.
If you’re lumbered with particularly dense, clay-like soil, you will need to put in quite a lot of work in loosening the overall structure. Then, you will be able to plant seeds with the knowledge that they will be able to push through the soil.
It’s also beneficial to know what kinds of vegetables you want to grow, as some of them thrive better in different kinds of soil.
Seasonal Planting and Harvesting
Before setting out to plant all your desired vegetables, you need to have a good idea of the vegetable calendar and in which months different vegetables grow better. Consult an expert vegetable growing calendar which advises you when to plant your vegetables, how to prepare the soil for them, and when you can expect your first yield.
Growing home-grown fruit and vegetables can require very specific conditions such as growing your tomato plants, producing a vegetable patch, or even for such trees and shrubs. You might also have to build supportive structures, like trellises, to ensure that the vegetables grow properly.
Essential Growing Tips
Of course, you can’t just plant your plants and seeds and leave them to work their magic. Maintaining a garden and supporting your plants to grow requires strict watering schedules, measures for pest control, and various treatments, like pruning, that ensure a good yield.
You need to keep your eye out for disease too. Left unchecked viruses, bacteria, and fungus can destroy your plants. Environmental conditions like humidity and drought make plants particularly vulnerable to such diseases. You can use pest control substances or research more environmentally friendly ways to keep your garden healthy.
