When you get to enjoy fresh vegetables plucked from your own garden or balcony, you wonder why you would ever want to buy them from the store again. The flavors, the colors, the nutrients! Growing your own vegetables is thrifty, rewarding and, quite honestly, addicting. You don’t need a ton of space, either. There are various ways to grow whether in the ground, in a raised bed, on a balcony or even indoors with a hydroponic vegetable garden. If you have the space, you may consider adding greenhouses to your gardening tools as they are a benefit to getting things started or for protecting some species that need a little extra TLC. Whether you plant from seeds or make the most of what you would otherwise discard, you can come a cropper soon enough to realize the bounty and benefits of producing your own vegetables. With some tips and tricks to help you get going, you can discover how to multiply your initial investment tenfold.
The first thing you need to tackle is where you will grow. The key elements you need are full sunshine, soil you can manage for both fertilizing and weeding and determining the size of the garden you actually need. Consider the size of your family for one thing and the amount of vegetables you need for another. The amount of direct sunlight available to you may influence which vegetables you can grow. Grow lights can be used, especially if you decide to go with indoor hydroponics. This requires a water reservoir, a pump, a structure to hold the pots and opaque containers to keep the roots in the dark. Most vegetable gardeners soon discover they must find people to give their harvest to as many species of vegetables are prolific growers. You also must consider your own physical ability, the time you can devote to your garden, you true interest and your gardening tools.
Consider your climate, the space available for planting, your family’s taste preferences and your own level of expertise. Some vegetables are easier to grow like cucumbers, lettuce, beans, carrots and peppers. You do not have to start by planting every vegetable known to man. If planting in the ground, you want to clear the space of any weeds or grasses and till the soil. If you are planting in beds, pots or the ground, you can prepare the soil with natural fertilizers to condition the soil for your crops. Ground soil may be acidic calling for supplements to balance it, or you may opt to purchase bulk prepared soil. For hydroponic gardening, be aware this form of growing calls for some serious DIY skills. You will have to build your system and prepare your water as this is key to growing indoors. Hydroponic fertilizer can be liquid fish fertilizer or other organic fertilizer as long as you avoid the chemicals.
Varieties of vegetables have their own seasons. If you plant from seeds, your packets will indicate the months of the year to plant them and their spacing. This is important as when they grow, they will need the room specified. If you want to plant year-round, you can rotate your selections to correspond to the seasons. Take the time to research and review the recommendations for what you want to grow to know how to proceed and what to expect.
Following instructions, plant to the depth and spacing shown. If you have kept certain leftover rooted ends from what you bought at the market that you placed in water, you can also plant these. This is another avenue of sourcing that becomes quite the mission when you learn how easy it is to grow from generating roots on leftovers like onions, celery, lettuce and more.
One of the best ways to water your seeds is with a spray. Irrigation-style watering is not needed with smaller gardens, and this tends to use more water than you need anyway. Obviously, with hydroponics, it is all about the water since you are not growing in soil.
There are recommended methods of covering the ground to prevent weeds from taking over such as using mulch, hay or even laying down the bags from feed or fertilizer to keep the sun from reaching those areas of the ground you want to keep weed-free. With hydroponics, you won’t have this issue. If you do get weeds, make sure to pluck them out by the roots sooner than later to keep this chore to a minimum.
As plants start to grow, you begin to appreciate the instructions that told you to space them apart accordingly. Some grow up while others may spread out. Vines may need a place to hang onto. Posts with twine can be put up for beans. If your seedlings are crowded, thin them out before they get going too far. This is especially important with carrots or other root vegetables.
Most often, all your plants need to thrive are sunshine and water. However, there are times when you need to add elements to enrich the soil or fortify the water in the case of hydroponics. You may also make use of your discarded eggshells for added calcium, Epsom salt for magnesium, coffee grounds for nitrogen and other plant-based compost.
Finally, the reward for your efforts and the fulfillment of your enthusiasm. You can’t help but feel excited when you see your vegetable garden grow. Pluck as things are young and tender since leaving them too long will take them beyond their freshness.
The advantage is you only need to pick what you want to use, which means you will have a continual source of fresh vegetables. Root vegetables will need to reach their edible size, but leaf vegetables can be cut by the leaf leaving at least a couple of inches from the ground for continual growth. Enjoy your planting. Within your first season, you will soon see how engaging the whole process is. The reward is well worth the effort.
