Many people find joy in gardening, as this can be a relaxing hobby. You can learn more reasons why you have to start your own garden today on this site here. Aside from the fruits and vegetables that they can harvest in the right season, planting in their own yard gives them a sense of satisfaction. Others pride themselves on working hard and feeding themselves with fresh produce from their own garden, and some gained a deeper understanding of the workings of nature.
In the current circumstances where people spend more time at home and buying food from the grocery stores can be scary, having your vegetable patch is something that you should seriously consider. If you are bored and you think that you have spent more than enough time inside your home, you can always visit your garden and see if the pumpkins have already grown twice your size or if there are juicy cucumbers to harvest to make your day lighter.
For people who have gardening woes, it’s never too late to try again. Maybe you didn’t know that mint and zucchinis will take over your garden, and they didn’t last a week, but that should not be the end of your efforts. You may feel like a new person if you manage to eat a few tomatoes from your potted plants and decide to have another go with the gardening. If so, then here are pieces of advice that you may find helpful.
What to Do when Gardening
1. Start Small but not too Little
The area of your garden will depend on the spare time that you’re willing to invest in it. Experts estimate that it will take you about 2 minutes per square foot in a week to maintain and take care of your garden. This means that if you have a 25 sq. ft. garden, you’ll need over 50 minutes to water the plants, prune, and harvest your fresh produce every day. Single packets of seeds can cover an area of 25 sq. ft. and if you need two varieties of cabbages, then it’s time to reconsider whether you have the extra time to do all the activities.
The definition of small will depend on your overall experience and your hobbies. If your vegetable patch is too small, you may end up with over-tending them because there’s nothing much to do, or you may get disinterested in the process because the plants are not growing fast enough. A minimum of 15 sq. ft. may be enough for some homeowners, especially those who are just starting out.
The advice of horticulturists? For beginners who are trying everything by themselves, it’s best to gather deep pots and start with a few squash and cucumber seeds. You just have to follow the directions on the packets, and it doesn’t get easier than that.
While you are in this kind of project, look out for signs of garden envy. It’s never ideal to look at the growth of other people’s gardens on Instagram or to watch your neighbor’s plants grow. You may see some with a flourishing garden, but they had probably started several years ago, so don’t be discouraged while you are still in the beginning stages.
2. Plant where the Sun is Shining
For edibles, the first rule that you need to follow is to plant where the sun is. Generally, you can grow edible food in areas facing the southeast, southwest, and southern directions. You can also pay attention to where the sun rises every day and ensure that you put your edibles where they get plenty of sunlight.
3. Focus on the Leafy Produce
Most gardening experts recommend that you focus on the leaves and not the fruits. You can get your gardening guide in the link provided and know other things that you need to focus on for a more bountiful harvest. If you decide to have plenty of edibles, the leaves are the best place to start.
The edibles have basic life cycles. They start their lives with a single seed. Then the roots grow, followed by the stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits if they make them. Then the seedling creation starts the process once again.
If you want to see quicker results, it’s best to focus on plants with plenty of leaves like herbs, cabbages, and lettuces. If you compare the race to their fruit counterparts, the ones with the leaves will have quicker yields because the fruits will appear much later on in a plant’s life cycle.
As long as you set everything right, you can get lots of green leafy vegetables in a single harvest regardless if your space is small. A home-grown salad is also healthier than the ones that you are purchasing in supermarkets, and the veggies can be easily harvested on a 15-square foot plot.
4. Know your Area Well
There are specific maps that can be found in the USDA that will tell you which plants are best suited to which state or kind of land. You can also get tips from online almanacs on when to plant certain fruits and vegetables in your area. Use tools online that will let you put in your zip codes so that you can see which fruits will fare better at a particular time of the year.
Why does knowing your area or zone matter? Knowing your state will prevent you from planting tomatoes in the middle of summer in Arizona. Know more about summer vegetables here: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/list-summer-vegetables-summer-garden-40933.html. You won’t wonder why some of your veggies are suffering dehydration while in other parts of the country, people are making pico de gallo dishes that are rich in salsa.
Another helpful thing to do is to head to your local nursery. The smaller ones will start planting the herbs and leafy veggies that are appropriate for the season to come. Most farmers in greenhouses will be producing the ones that are going on full-priced in markets and those that are prominently displayed at the front of many grocer’s shops. Most often, those that have discounted labels are cheaper because they are nearing their prime, and their harvests were not as good as those who are in season.
