Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Home Vegetable Gardening


Here’s something to think about as you're planning what to do with your planting areas this year. How about setting aside an area for vegetables or even consider planting some vegetables in among your flowers? Growing vegetables in containers is easier than ever with the new self-watering containers and specially mixed potting soil.

Vegetable gardening is gaining momentum with the rise in the cost of food and concerns about safety and quality. Growing your own vegetables can take some work but the benefits are great. There’s nothing that tastes quite as good as vegetables fresh picked from your own garden!

If you haven’t tried vegetable gardening before, Horticulturist Charlie Nardozzi from the National Gardening Association recommends some simple guidelines to get you started:

* Start small with a 3 ft x 5 ft bed that's in full sun in an area that you'll pass by frequently.

* Start with easier to grow vegetables like bush beans, summer squashes, tomatoes, any greens, Swiss chard, peppers, carrots and radishes.

* Keep the garden low maintenance. Apply mulch around beds and plants.

* Visit the garden every other day and spend a few minutes weeding instead of once a week. The circlehoe is especially handy for keeping the weeds under control around your vegetables. Our motto is ''WEED EARLY, WEED OFTEN''.

* Get the children involved with fun stuff like planting seeds and harvesting carrots and radishes. Once they are invested in the garden, there's a good chance they'll learn to appreciate the great taste of fresh veggies.

Important factors to consider in selecting a garden site include:

SUNLIGHT at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day, 8-10 hours is ideal

NEARNESS TO THE HOUSE for convenience of harvesting, watering, weeding, insect and disease control

SOIL should have good texture, be fertile and well-drained. If you don’t have loose well-drained soil to start with, clay and sandy soils can be improved by adding organic matter.

WATER the garden as often as needed to maintain a uniform moisture supply. Water early in the morning at least one inch per week.

The Vegetable Gardeners Bible by Ed Smith is a great reference book for those of you who get involved in vegetable gardening. If you are not ready to tackle your own vegetable garden, consider checking out your local farmer's market. Next to growing your own, there's nothing better than local, fresh picked fruits and vegetables.

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