Archive for ◊ February, 2009 ◊

Author:
• Tuesday, February 03rd, 2009

In some areas vegetable gardening is getting as popular as going to grocery stores and actually buying them. Vegetables grown in vegetable gardening are usually cheaper than those bought in stores, and they definitely taste better. Moreover, vegetable gardening does not differ from growing flowers and herbs. You only need is to provide plants with proper care and conditions and you can season very tasty produce from your own garden. When interested in vegetable garden planning, you need to take a few things into consideration.

At the beginning you have to decide on the size of your garden. Then, choose the right place, that meets the requirements of good air flow, good drainage, goo soil, and proper sunlight. Due to obvious reasons, vegetable gardens usually attract much attention of animals such as dogs, rabbits, or deer. They will with most certainty try to get to your veggies. If you do not want to share your produce with all neighbouring animals you amy want to surround your garden with a fence, or put out traps for mice and moles.

Before starting vegetable garden planning, you need to prepare the soil properly. To improve the condition of soil, you need to cultivate it and add some materials. You should start with tilling the soil to avoid weeds, and add mulch into it. If your garden is small, it is better to use a spade that a plough. Pay attention to mulching, as it releases nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients plants need to thrive. There are different types of mulch, however compost is definately the commonly used. The kind and amount of fertilizer used usually depends on the type of soil. However, there are certain plants that have special requirements, ie. leafy plants, such as spinach, cabbage, and lettuce in most cases grow better with more nitrogen, whereas root crops like turnips, beets, or potatoes require more potash. Tomatoes and beans use less fertilizer, while plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a larger amount.

Bear in mind, that with vegetable garden planning it is vital to remember about garden arrangement. Unfortunately, there is no golden rule that will work for every garden because of varying conditions. Among often quoted ideas is planting vegetables that need limited space in close proximity. It refers to, for example, radishes, lettuce, beets, and spinach. Additionally, these plants that need more space, should also be planted together. Among those you can find corn, pumpkins, and potatoes. The other rule is to grow the tall plants towards the back or next the the fence of your garden and shorter ones in the front so that they all get enough of sunlight.

When you’re done with vegetable garden planning, planting time finally comes. Pay attention to the requirements as far as planting season is concerned. For impatient gardeners, there is also a solution. If you start planting a bit earlier than recommended, you may consider using hotbed inside and then transplanting the plants outside. Once you are done with planting, remeber to water the plants thoroughly. The amount of water needed will depend on the type of plant, however, it is said that most plants need the equivalent to about an inch of water per week.

Weeds are pest of every gardenenr. But they have to be controlled because they will take up water, light, and nutrients from the vegetables. Moreover, they can also spread disease and attracting insects to the garden. Tilling and mulching helps to get rid of weeds. To protect against disease and insects buy seeds that are disease resistant or use controlled chemicals.

Vegetable garden planning needs proper attention and preparation. Growing popularity of growing vegetables is caused by its rewarding nature. Vegetable garden is quite cheap and provides you with fresh produce, excellent taste of homegrown veggies, and is a pleasant sight as well. If you pay attention to the precautions and keep maintaining your garden, your vegetables will flourish for many years.

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: , ,