by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Vegetable gardens are back. Well, not that they have gone away totally but... Growing your own vegetable and fruit in your own garden makes sense, economically and otherwise.
The question is always as to whether lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and other vegetables that you buy from the from the grocery store, green grocers and supermarket vegetable isles are really safe to eat. We have all heard the stories about E. Coli bacteria on spinach and lettuce, etc., which can make you very ill indeed, and then there are all the chemicals that are used by commercial, non-organic growers, which are not very safe either.
Now more than ever homeowners are growing their own food and vegetable seed sales are up 80 percent compared to previous years. That is a lot! In a struggling economy and with the horror stories of unsafe foods, we are planting vegetable gardens to save on our pocket books and produce our own high quality vegetables. But there is a great difference in today’s gardens. They are not vegetable gardens of grandma and great-grandma, which were large and everything in beds in rows. Today's vegetable gardens are small spaced gardens, potted edibles in containers on the patio or hanging from baskets on the balcony. These are the vegetable gardens of today. You can grow food even if you don’t have the space.
Saving big money in the backyard
Produce from a 10 by 20-foot garden can be equivalent $4000 spent in the grocery store! While leafy green vegetables and herbs are worth $15 to $20 per square foot, tomatoes, peppers, and radishes vary from $5 to $10 per square foot. So, I think I know what to sew and plant.
What vegetables want and need
8-10 hours of sunlight, a healthy, enriched soil, water, food )which ideally should come from the soil and some organic additions) and a good babysitter, namely YOU.
First time vegetable gardeners need to consider their garden’s location, size, design, and type. If you are going to plant a garden right into the soil you’ll have to prepare the site. Totally remove grass by hand or apply an organic herbicide to kill it. Enrich the soil by mixing in compost, peat moss, and manure.
My favorite gardens are raised bed gardens and those that utilize planters and containers of every kind that are easy to manage, and mine is just that kind. I use about everything that I can as a planter, from raised beds to tubs to bath tubs to shopping carts, buckets, etc. In fact anything that can remotely be used for growing a crop. Do not, however, use vehicle tires unless they were those with inner tubes. The tires of tubeless tires are steel-belted and contain cadmium which will leach into the produce and that stuff in dangerous to humans. You can use tires, however, for the growing to flowers for the home and every home needs cut flowers.
Raised really rock
Raised really rock, no doubt about it and so do, and maybe even more so, planters. If you have a small plot, try building a raised bed by mounding soil or building a box with timber (do not use treated lumber) or stone. The raised beds should contain soil 18-24 inches deep. If you have some old brisk build a raised bed with those at least two course high. Just put them one upon the other; don't use mortar.
The benefits are endless. Besides looking tidy and clean, the soil heats up faster in spring and drains well. You can mix soil to exact specifications. Soil compaction is reduced (since you won't walk on it) which allows more oxygen to get to the roots. Plants can be planted closer together (you can produce nearly two times the amount of produce) which helps reduce weeds. And the same is true for the planters that I mentioned.
I use, for instance the one tonne builder's bags that, nowadays, are no longer returnable, and which are made of woven polypropylene. They are an absolutely great way of creating an instant raised bed garden though they do take quite a bit of soil.
Good soil equals success
The most important factor is to make sure your soil is “alive.” Healthy soil leads to healthy plants. It is loose, easy to work, and teaming with soil microbes, compost, and amendments. Every season make a point to amend or enrich your soil with compost, manure and other organic matter. Mix these ingredients to a depth of six to twelve inches, though top dressing can also work. Only soil that is being improved in such a way is living soil.
Pick the proper plants
It’s easier said than done if you’ve never grown a garden. If you don’t have the time or inclination to start your plants from seed then, I recommend going to a reputable garden center and getting to know the employees. They can provide you with a wealth of garden know-how, plus you can always call on them for help.
Most vegetable plants can be purchased either as transplants or as seeds; however, it’s too late to start many of the seeds now. Always pick sturdy and squatty dark green plants. Check out the roots by gently tapping the plant from its container. Roots should be white, vigorous, and plump. If they aren’t, don’t buy them! Other plant considerations include disease resistance, size of plant, variety, heirloom vs. hybrid, and/or organic.
Don't, however, even think of buying some plants as plugs, such as, for instance, carrots, parsnips, and some others. They cannot be replanted successfully from plugs; I have tried it, it does not work.
Planting is a family affair
No, it does not mean that you must involve your entire family, even thought that would be a good idea, maybe. Planting shouldn’t be complicated. But you’ll save yourself huge headaches down the road if you plant vegetables according to their families to help avoid the spread of disease. Start by categorizing plants by family i.e., all nightshade plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. These plants take nitrogen from the soil. Legumes, beans, and peas put nitrogen back into the soil so they are naturally a good group to follow the nightshade plants. Google “crop rotation” for more information. Also check out “companion planting” as that also is a great way of avoiding infestation by pests and other diseases.
One note on the planting families together: Some members don't like each other. Never plant tomatoes and potatoes in close proximity.
Whichever way you make your garden make sure that you rotate the crops so as to prevent diseases spreading.
This is by no means a complete instructions as to how to plant a vegetable garden, whatever size; that would be breaking the limits of an article.
© 2011
