If you have never planted vegetables, fruits, or herbs, you may think it is a huge undertaking. I mean you look at the ground and some seeds and it is hard to believe this can turn into enough food to feed your family for months. But, once you have successfully planted and harvested a garden, you will find that is is not that difficult.
Getting Started
Getting started will help you see how a few simple techniques will help you start right and finish strong. If you are putting in a traditional vegetable garden, you should select a site that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight. It needs to be near a water supply.
Seeds
If you are a beginner, it is even more important to develop a relationship with a quality seed vendor. Your seed vendor needs to be experienced so that he can help you in your selections and answer any questions that come up. His knowledge should not be limited to what is written on the back of a small seed envelope. Expert seed vendors like Seed Needs, guarantees their seeds will grow and they will be fresh. This is the heart of your garden.
Easy Vegetables To Grow
For your first veggie garden, start with easy plants that rarely give anyone trouble.
- Tomatoes
There are many types of tomatoes. Some continue to produce after they have been picked. Some are very large and some are small.
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Spinach
- Radishes
- Zucchini
- Bell Peppers
- Peas
- Beans
There are many others. It is a good idea to do some research based on your location.
Adding Herbs
Adding herbs to your garden is a great idea. There is no better way to add some flavor to your recipes. But, they can get confusing. Consider this. Growing Lemon Mint – And De-Mystifying It’s Many names – Seed Needs
You see, Lemon Mint is known by many names in the species. These include:
- Purple Lemon Mint
- Monarda Citriodora
- Bee Balm
- Lemon BeeBalm
- Melissa Officinalis
- Horsemint
- Lemon Horsemint
- Plains Horsemint
Tips
- Test the PH levels of your soil. You can buy a kit at any garden center. Some garden centers will test it for you. The PH level tells you how much acid is in your yard. This tells you what will grow best. It does not mean you can’t grow other vegetables, but it does mean they will require special attention. If this is your first time growing veggies, I would advise you not to try any major challenges.
- When you are preparing your tools, grab your favorite garden shovel. Hose them off and let them dry well in the sun. Then give them a good spray with Teflon or silicon. The soil will just slide off of it when you use it.
- If you are planting some of you plants in pots, make the pots lighter by doing the following: Before you begin, fill the lower ⅓ of the pot with packing peanuts. Place a piece of landscape fabric over them. Then fill your pot with potting soil as directed for the plant. The pots will be lighter and easier to move once the plants have begun to grow.
- Place a rain catcher outdoors where it has an unobstructed position to catch the rain. Before setting it, place a drop of food coloring inside the water reserve. When the rain is caught there will be no question how much rain your garden got. Rinse the rain catcher and repeat the process each time.
- Look to your computer for an app that will help you with your garden. These apps will remind you if it is time to water, mulch or feed your garden. They will keep up with the date that you last did these chores. You can add details, like when did you notice an unusual spot and what you did to fix it. We recommend; GrowIt!.com and GardenManager.com. These are free and they are really good.
So, that is about it. You can see, gardening takes a bit of effort, but it’s nothing you cannot do. It offers great stress relief, provides wonderful food, and it is an eco-friendly activity that is good for the entire family. So, get started, cool weather gardens will be going in the ground before you know it.
