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There are few things that can bring as much satisfaction as a home vegetable garden. Fresh garden grown produce is healthier, safer and will stretch a food budget like nothing else.
With the falling US Dollar and tough worldwide economic conditions , food prices are expected to rise in 2012. Over the past year corn prices have risen 80%, soybeans 41%, wheat 53% and from lettuce to tomatoes virtually all fresh produce has doubled in price.
The financial benefits of vegetable gardening can be amazing. Research from Burpee and Park Seeds found that for less than $70 worth of seeds and fertilizer one could produce a yield of $1200 worth of produce, a 1700% return on investment.
Demand for seed is also high. Major seed suppliers such as Park and Burpee have seen sales increase more than 25% in the past year. Many people have also been stocking up on non-hybrid seed as a way to produce and store seed for future
uncertainty.
Steps to a successful vegetable garden
*Find out what grows best in your area. Many different vegetables will grow from Miami to Minnesota with differing planting times. But, some plants need certain climates to thrive. See the USDA climate zone, find and note your location. Then, look up a seed supplier, their catalogs have a range of suggested USDA zones for each plant listed along with number of days to maturity. Ask some of your gardening neighbors what they have had success growing in your area.
Make sure to choose fruits and veggies that you and your family already enjoy. It will make working in the garden more enjoyable, especially when it comes time to pull weeds.
*Find out when to plant. Planting times vary from zone to zone. In some areas four season gardening is possible. Contact your local Agricultural extension office for valuable resources about when, what and where to plant.
You don’t have to have an acre or more to grow a home garden. Many vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce,cucumbers, squash and herbs will do fine grown in containers on a deck or patio. Raised planting beds are perfect for a small yard, up against a fence or on a rooftop of a building.
* Pick a location to plant your garden. Sunlight: Most vegetables require at least four to five hours of direct sunlight to thrive and produce. Take a look around your site at different times of the day to determine sun exposure. If you are going to be planting winter crops you should look for an area that is not blocked by trees or structure in a southern direction. Water: You are going to need some water along the way. pick a spot where you can bring irrigation to the plants via overhead sprinklers, drip irrigation, micro sprinklers or simply a bucket.
*You will to decide if you want to grow your garden "in ground", in some type of container or in a raised bed.
The advantage of in ground planting is simplicity, lay off rows and plant. The advantage of a container garden is the ability to grow a garden in a small space such as a patio or deck.
The advantages of a raised garden bed are 1) the ability to control soil quality an nutrients 2)easier pest management 3) closer spacing of plants 4) the garden gets closer to you (raised up) 5) raised bed kitsare a pleasing feature to add to any landscape.
*Find a location where you an protect your plants from damage from animals.
This can be deer, rabitts, racoons or even the family dog. You may have to install a simple garden fence around the area you have choosen to plant. Luckily there are plenty of products on the market to help you. Click here to view garden fence products.
*Amend the soil if needed. Preform a soil test to determine the pH and what micro-nutrients are needed to help your plants thrive. Your local county extention agent can direct you on how and where to take your soil sample and help you with the results of the test.
You may need to add organic material to the soil to improve sandy or clay soils. You can use your own produced compost, peat, manure, pine bark, chopped straw or commercially produced garden mixes. The adding of worm castings and worms makes for a natural organic fertilizer. The idea is have a soil that retains moisture, nutrients and stimulates healthy root growth.
You will then need to mix or cultivate the soil. In a small container garden simply use a trowel. For bigger raised beds use a garden hoe. Larger garden areas may require a rotory tiller, harrow or even a plow to turn and mix the soil. Your goal should be to aerate and turn the soil mix to make it easier for the seeds and plants to get off to a good start.
* Lay off rows for planting. The next step after you found a location, decided what to plant and prepared the soil, it is time to lay off rows for planting. You will need to allow enough space between rows for the plant to grow to maturity and allow for cultivation and harvest. Leave enough room between rows for you to walk, pull weeds, irrigate, fertilize, use a roto-tiller and pick your vegetables. In a large open garden, rows are normally three to five feet apart. Small or container gardens, plant just far enough apart to allow the plant to reach full size and still have room for air flow around the foliage.
Have fun with your backyard garden. Get the whole family involved. Plant some flowers on a couple of rows to make it more colorful. Take satisfaction in the idea that you will be producing nutrient rich, safe food for pennies on the dollar compared to grocery stores.
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