Grow Your Own Vegetables

By: Phillip Blunzon

Home gardeners know the many benefits of growing their own fresh produce. It's not only fun and easy, but the pride you'll feel when serving and eating your own vegetables is definitely worth the effort. You'll know whether herbicides or pesticides have been used. Best of all, it costs just a fraction of what you'd pay to shop for produce at a local market.

These days, vegetable gardening is almost as popular as shopping for produce at the market. Backyard, patio and rooftop gardens can produce a bounty of crops. The vegetables usually taste better, and are far cheaper than buying at the store. If you've grown flowers or herbs, you can use the same degree of care and effort to plant and pick healthy vegetables.

In planting a successful vegetable garden, the first step is finding the right space. You'll need to decide how big you want your garden to be, and then choose the best spot on your property. Look for an area that has rich, deep soil, proper air circulation and good drainage. Choose a spot that has maximum exposure to the sun, and shelter wherever possible. Remember, you're not the only one who will want to harvest the tasty treats in your garden; there are also all kinds of animals hungry for a taste. Even if you have a rooftop garden, you need to protect your plants from wildlife. Surround your garden with a fence or set traps for small animals.

Before planting, you need to be sure that the soil is properly prepared. Soil preparation for vegetable gardens includes careful cultivation and the application of organic materials. The soil must be tilled, turned or plowed to help control weeds and mix mulch into the soil. If you have a small garden, spading will certainly do the trick. Mulching is another vital step in soil preparation. In order to thrive, plants need to grow in soil that has been enriched with nitrogen, minerals and other nutrients plants found in organic material. The most popular and beneficial type of mulch you can use is compost. Simple sheep manure is another cost-effective application that will do wonders for your plants.

The types of fertilizer and application that you choose depends on the types of plants you'll be growing. Nitrogen is required for leafy plants like lettuce, cabbage and spinach. Root crops like carrots, turnips, beets and potatoes do best when enriched with potash. Celery, onions and potatoes need larger amounts of fertilizer, while beans and tomatoes require less.

The arrangement of your garden is a big factor in the overall success. Depending on your specific garden conditions, you can't always guarantee that any one particular type of vegetable will thrive. For this reason, it's a great idea to plant several varieties. One popular method of arranging vegetable gardens is to plant varieties needing limited space in one area. Radishes, beets, lettuce and spinach grow on compact plants that can easily share a single bed. Other varieties, such as pumpkins, squash, corn and potatoes, need more elbow room. Tall plants, such as tomatoes and corn, should be planted at the back of the garden, providing shelter and sunlight for smaller plants.

After you've fully prepared your garden beds, you'll need to be sure that the weather is just right before you begin planting. Most tender plants, like peppers and tomatoes, can be killed by frost. However, peas, lettuce and other seeds will do quite well when sown in the cool springtime soil. If you'd like to get a head start on your garden before the danger of frost has passed, you can always start the plants on a windowsill or hotbed. Then, simply transplant the young plants when it's safe to do so.

After you have planted all of your vegetables, be sure to water them regularly. Different varieties of vegetables have individual watering needs, but on average most plants will need the equivalent of about an inch of water per week.

Deal with weeds promptly and properly, or they'll cause big problems in your garden. Weeds are not just eyesores, but can rob your vegetables of precious water, light and soil nutrients. Insects and disease are more common when weeds are present. There are other methods of controlling weeds and disease than simply using herbicides. Pull the weeds as soon as they emerge to keep them from spreading. Some seeds will produce disease-resistant plants, so look for these properties before you plant.

Planting and cultivating a vegetable garden can be a lot of work, but the rewards you'll reap are absolutely delicious.