Return to the Entertainment Center
HOW TO GROW A VEGETABLE GARDEN
There are several reasons for keeping a vegetable garden and this report will show how to start one. In order to obtain satisfactory results and good crops, several steps must be followed, including soil preparation, planting, growing and maintenance.
Anyone can keep a vegetable garden; if you have little time you can set a small plot of land and if you don’t have room for a king size crop field you can always plant in baskets, wooden boxes or pots.
Vegetable gardens are beneficial for several reasons:
To grow healthy and fresh vegetables
To discover a great, new past-time
To produce a visual delight in your garden
To burn off a few calories
WHAT IS BEST FOR PLANT GROWTH
It is easier to water and care for crops when they are on level ground; if you only have sloped land make sure you plant on slanted ground that faces south or southeast to take full advantage of the sun. (Rodale 24)
CLIMATE: The plants in the garden love the sun and need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. You must plant far away from trees, shrubs and other elements that may cast shade on the crops. The garden must not be exposed to hot summer and cold winter winds but it should receive sufficient aeration to avoid plant diseases to develop. Stay away from frost spots!
SOIL: The ideal soil contains an equal amount of sand, clay and silt plus organic matter. A vegetable garden needs rich soil to nourish crops; if the soil is poor, raised beds or containers are recommended to grow plants. Avoid planting close to trees or shrubs that may compete for water.
WATER: Even in a location where it rains often, it is highly recommended to plant fairly close to a water source.
THINKING ABOUT IT ALL
Even
though you may be eager to start cultivating and eating your own crops there are
important facts you should consider before sowing your seeds
Choose crops that you or your family enjoy
Think about how much time you are willing to dedicate to your garden and plant accordingly. “Initially, it takes a lot of work to prepare the soil and do your planting; on the average though, the majority of home gardeners spend less than 4 hours a week in their garden.” (Vegetable Gardening 26)
Consider the available space to plant. A good size garden for beginners is 10x10ft. Each square foot usually harvests 1 to 1 ½lbs of crops each season. (Vegetable Gardening 26) Also make sure you chose a limited number and variety of plants to produce good results. You never know if the time you have to tend the land will be enough if you plant a huge garden! (Rodale 24)
PURCHASE
SEEDS AND PLANTS
Once you have an idea of what type of vegetables you wish to produce, it is time to purchase seeds or plants. “Most vegetables can be started from seed (though for convenience, some are purchased as started plants). (Vegetable Gardening 27)
Seeds and plants can be purchased at garden centers, mail order catalogs and the Internet. Find out if the vegetable you wish to grow is adaptable to your climate and environment. If purchasing plants at the store, make sure they look healthy and young. [They] should not be “crowded or straggly [that shows] they’ve been around too long.” (Vegetable Gardening 27)
Prior to planting, it is highly recommended to test the soil for nutrients to find out what fertilizers and soil amendments need to be added. Inexpensive test kits that detect nutrient amounts are available at many nurseries and catalogs.
Add a layer of compost or sprinkle commercial fertilizer on top of soil. Check directions on seed packets to find out what the plant needs. Once that is done, you are ready to till the layer into the soil.
You must be certain that the soil is broken up; don’t till it when it’s wet. To find out if your soil is ready to be worked, hold some of it and squeeze it into a lump; if the soil ball crumbles, you are set. If the ball holds, the soil is too wet (or too dry if it won’t form a lump at all). You can finally rake it and form hills, mounds, furrows or raised beds.
|
|
You can either grow seeds indoors or in the garden. If you use the first method, you have a better control of the light, heat and moisture. However, some vegetables are difficult to transplant and should be grown into the garden.
Sow or transplant when the weather is nice and check the information on the packet to determine the right time to do this. If the vegetables were started indoors, adapt them to the outside weather by moving them outdoors each day for increasing lengths of time. Follow information on seed packets to find out how far apart the seeds should be planted.
Seedlings need good moisture but not too much. In hot weather they may need to be watered twice a day or more. Protective shading may be necessary until the roots are well established.
Dig a hole in ready soil twice as wide and deep as the root ball and soften soil at bottom of the hole to set plant in place. Fill with soil around the root ball and water the plant.
To care for young plants, you must water often to keep the soil moist (2-3 times a day). As roots develop, the plant will not need as much moisture.
“The best way to tell how often to water is to look at the plants and to examine the soil. One good way to test soil moisture is to dig down an inch or so and feel the soil with your finger. If the soil is damp, you probably don’t need to water immediately; but if it’s dry, water right away.” (Vegetable Gardening 28)
Weeds must be removed when seedlings are sprouting; once plants are established, applying mulch will keep weeds from growing.
To “give your plants a boost of growth” (Vegetable Gardening 28) fertilizer may be used after plants are stabilized.
Always inspect the garden to prevent diseases and pest infestations. A disease is often quite easy to cure if detected early.
The hard work pays off when vegetables are harvested to be immediately eaten or stored. It is best to pick leafy vegetables early morning to keep them fresh and gather crops just before planning to eat or preserve them. Some crops need to be immediately picked at their point of ripeness while others can be left in the ground until it is convenient for you to harvest them.
In order to avoid the most troublesome diseases and pests of vegetable gardens, you should always:
Try to choose disease-resistant varieties of the plant you wish to grow
Provide best growing conditions and inspect plants often
Plant different types of vegetables to avoid large populations of specific pests
Use biological methods to destroy pests by spreading beneficial insects that will eat the plant damagers. They will stick around the garden if there is a consistent amount of pests.
Once you choose the vegetables you want to incorporate to your garden everything will seem less confusing. After setting up the garden in a good spot with a lot of light and no strong winds special care will be needed while seedlings grow into plants. Once plants are established, water them regularly and check for diseases and pests; those are easily treated if detected early. Harvest crops according to each species’ picking period and enjoy your salad!
WORKS CITED:
-Rodale. Successful Organic Gardening Vegetables. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1993.
-Silber Terry and Mark Silber. Growing Herbs and Vegetables. New York: Alfred A. Knopk. Inc., 1999.
-Sunset. Vegetable Gardening. Menlo Park, CA: Sunset, 1989.