There are many advantages to starting your own vegetable or herb garden. This article will cover mainly how to grow a vegetable garden; however, the process for growing herbs is very similar and fairly easy to maintain. Some of the many reasons that people will grow their own vegetables could be as simple as wanting to have fresh vegetables to eat for their family or to sell off additional produce to put a little extra cash in their pockets. Even small gardens, if done correctly, could potentially produce anywhere from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars a year with minimal effort to maintain. This obviously is limited to the amount of space you have to work with, the cost of start up and the amount of time you can dedicate to your garden.
The most important tip to keep in mind when starting a garden is to START SMALL! I can't stress this enough, as you can always make your garden larger when you become more familiar with what you're doing.
- Before you begin your garden, start using a compost bin. There are many things you could throw into it to begin creating fertilizer for your garden.
- Decide which vegetables or herbs you may want to grow in your garden. Make sure and check the acidity of the soil as different herbs and vegetables have different requirements. You can use lime to decrease the acidity or sulfur if you want to increase the acidity.
- Place your garden in a spot within your yard that gets maximum sunlight all year.
- Remove any large rocks, pebbles, or other obstructing objects in your garden. This will ensure nothing obstructs their natural growth.
- Smooth a thin layer of compost over the soil and mix it together. Try and use nutrient-rich compost if you can as it is the best type to use.
- Put a fence up in the general area of your garden if you intend to grow peas or beans as this will provide support for their stalks.
- Mark off rows for where you intend to plant your seeds making sure to leave plenty of space between the various rows to ensure room for growth.
- Look on the seed packets to determine the correct depth to plant your seeds. Each plant may require a different depth for planting. Then go ahead and begin digging to the required depths for each seed, and plant the seeds when you're done.
- Cover your seeds with rich soil and pat down the soil firmly.
- When you water your freshly planted seeds make sure to not unearth them with a hose. A simple spray bottle works best when watering them.
- Once your garden begins to grow, make sure to pull out all weeds from the roots. You can also use recycled materials as weed control. It is also highly recommended that you use a natural blend of chopped garlic and mineral oil to repel insects.