Vegetable Gardening

Marco asked:


I would like to start a simple vegetable garden. I know very little about gardening. Where do I start? Is there a book that you would recommend?

Jamari

Singingtwinkletoes asked:


It’s just ridiculous how much crab grass is sprouting up in my veggie garden, and there is no way I can pull it all out by hand. What is safe to use on it but will not harm my vegetable plants?

Ernesto

jwill816 asked:


My 2 adult daughters moved to a new house with a vegetable garden. The weeds are trying to take over. What would be the best thing to lay between the rows to keep the weeds from growing.

Mallory

preds1fan asked:


I dumped some charcoal in about a 4′ x 4′ area of my vegetable garden over the winter and now nothing will grow in that area. Are there any fixes other than replacing the dirt all together? It is a raised bed garden.

Rosa

Doodles asked:


First attempt at a real vegetable garden. We have disked up the land and we don’t have a tiller. Any tips and suggestions on planting?
Will have a section for sunflowers, watermelons, squash, cucumbers, corn, tomatoes, peppers, beans

Donovan

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Many people enjoy gardening. It gets you outdoors, lets you commune with nature, give you time to think things through, and gives you a chance to create something beautiful. Gardening flowers is fun, but vegetable gardening has special rewards beyond fragrant flowers. You and your family can eat your harvest of vegetables.

Juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp snap beans, crisp green lettuce, and fresh squash are just a sample of the many food products that you can take straight to your table from your vegetable garden. Just rinse and serve. What better fast food could you want? You can also select your vegetables at their peak. No sifting through under- and over-ripe tomatoes at the grocery store. No questions about whether chemical pesticides or additives hide on and in your supposedly healthy vegetables. That means you know your family is getting healthy, nutritious food when you serve the “fruits” of your vegetable gardening.

Like other types of gardening and yard work, vegetable gardening gets you some good exercise and healthy living. You’re out in the fresh air, not trapped inside a dark stale room in your house. Vegetable gardening assures you get plenty of sunshine and the vitamin D you need to have healthy skin and bones. Not only that, but vegetable gardening is an excellent and effective way to work off the stress of modern life. No hassling with traffic or shopping mall crowds.

Vegetable gardening is a wonderful family activity, too. Preparing the bed, cultivating the soil, thinning seedlings and weeds, and harvesting ripe vegetables bring your family together with a sense of true accomplishment. Everyone at the table can be proud when your family sits down to an abundant table of home-grown vegetables they’ve all worked to produce. Not only that, your family can earn the friendship and gratitude of neighbors when your family shares the harvest.

The rewards of vegetable gardening last well after you’ve harvested the last winter crop. You can make a family game of freezing, canning, and preserving your vegetable harvest. That way, you’ll enjoy the rewards of vegetable gardening throughout the year. You’ll bring some of that summer sun to your table in the dead of a gloomy winter.

You’ll also save a pretty penny when you replace those expensive frozen vegetables with your own. And you can create your own custom preserving recipes for unique, delicious dishes.

You don’t have to own an acre of land for productive vegetable gardening. Any small plot of ground can provide abundant healthy vegetables. Vegetable gardening in containers, window boxes, even indoors, is a worthy pursuit as long as you have the proper soil, sun, and water. You can even extend your growing season indoors with artificial sunlight and warmth.

Give it a try. Buy some seeds, start a test plot indoors or out, and begin to enjoy the rewards of vegetable gardening for you and your family. Before you know it, you’ll be placing a steaming bowl of fresh squash, a beautiful salad, or a big plate of condiments - the greatest rewards of home vegetable gardening.



Quinn

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


If you wish to set up your very own vegetable garden and have absolutely no idea on how to go about it, do not lose sleep over it! It is not at all complicated or hard for a novice to start a vegetable garden. It is far more easy to grow vegetables than flowers.

As a rule, vegetables need plenty of sunshine. Vegetables require a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine daily, so pick a location that gets plenty of sunlight. A few leafy vegetable such as spinach, lettuce, and endive require a little amount of shade in the daytime, but vegetables that grow roots such as beets, peppers, radishes, carrots, tomatoes and squash could do with ample sunshine. A further point to be noted when a beginner starts a vegetable garden, is to avoid low-lying areas where water is prone to stagnate after rainfall.

High-quality loamy soil, which is properly drained, is what you require. If the right soil is not present in your garden spot, you have the option of developing it with fine soil management. A number of books on starting a basic vegetable garden are available and can help you out on this or you can approach a garden outlet to seek guidance.

A garden located on a level ground calls for low maintenance, but in case you grow vegetable on an incline, lay down the rows along the incline, instead of above and below. This tends to check erosion and at the same time give plants the greatest amount of rainwater. Spreading mulch around plants will aid in collecting water and stopping erosion. In case the hill has a precipitous incline, you need to use wood or stones to terrace it.

An additional guideline for basic vegetable gardening is to ensure the garden is located close to a water source, even thought it is only a garden hosepipe. Vegetables contain up to 90% water, and hence soil moisture is very important for the crops to grow. A heavy spread of mulch will aid in keeping the garden soil damp, but nearly 25.4mm of water every week is required by the crops, by way of either irrigation or rainfall.

A final rule regarding basic vegetable gardening is that if you are residing on a huge estate or in the countryside, it is a great idea to locate the garden near the house. There are a number of explanations for this. It is far easier to provide proper care to the garden if it is located close by. Further, you do not have to go a long way to transport the crops to the house. When preparing a meal, you simply have to step outside to pick fresh produce from your garden. Closeness to the house would also deter marauding animals such as rabbits, possums, raccoons, and deer that feast on the vegetables in the garden. It is advisable to fence in the area.



Claire

John Thomas asked:


I found a good site at http://www.vegetablegardeninghelp.com and got a good free vegetable gardening guide there. But now im wondering what are the planting times I need to follow.

I mean dont the planting times change from season to season? Im a little confused as im trying to plant some tomatoes and I dont know if now is the time to plant them or not. If anyone has any advice on this I would be thankful. Thanks

Levi

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


“Oh, how I long for a garden of my own!” Does this refrain seem familiar? Many people are cheated of a garden of their choice simply because they do not have enough yard space for growing plants. Sometimes, the weather acts like a spoilsport! What can one do then? Just go for indoor vegetable gardening like many others are doing!

The advantage to indoor vegetable gardening is that no matter what the weather be like outside and no matter what season it be, fresh vegetables are always on hand! It can turn into a great hobby, especially for the physically handicapped who are trapped indoors all the time! The activity itself does not involve much expense. The only qualities required are a caring attitude and plenty of patience!

Popular vegetables that flourish indoors include miniature cabbage, tomatoes, certain types of carrots, peppers and lettuce.

To get down to the brass tacks of what is involved in indoor vegetable gardening–

(1) The basic requirement for houseplants is containers. Now containers can mean anything–readymade pots purchased from the market, old cans, plastic containers that are no longer in use–anything, in fact.

(2) Each container must have some holes to allow excess water to drain out. An ice pick can be used to bore holes in plastic as well as tin and metal containers. Some containers would require drilling with tools. The holes should be placed at the sides and bottom.

(3) Soil type for indoor vegetable gardening should match the particular vegetable being grown. For instance, containers placed on flat surfaces would require a heavier growing medium as compared to pots hung from the ceiling.

(4) Soil can be mixed by the gardener himself/herself, or bought from a store. What should be kept in mind is that the soil is drainable and light in weight. Clay soil is not advisable because it does not drain properly; also, it is very heavy. Experts suggest having a mixture of soil, mulch and sand for beneficial results. Again, garden soil is not advisable.

(5) There is a skill involved in placing the soil properly into a container. Too tightly-packed soil will inhibit the development of roots. There should be some space left at the top for the purpose of easy watering.

(6) How does one select seedlings or seeds for indoor vegetable gardening? Seeds are advisable for the person who wants to do everything from the beginning. The others can straightaway start with seedlings.

(7) Houseplants also need water, same as the plants grown outdoors. There should be no underwatering or overwatering, the amount should be approximately correct. Where indoor vegetable gardening is concerned, the plants can be given water evey day or every alternate day.

(8) Other advantages to indoor vegetable gardening include minimal weeding and more resistance to attacks from pests.



Shayla

Mary Hanna asked:


The definition of organic gardening is a garden that does not use pesticides to kill pests. This method can be used in either vegetable or flower gardens. In vegetable gardens organic is the safest for you since you will be consuming what you have grown. But, if you utilize it in flower gardening also, it is safest for the environment.

Raising an organic garden has many sound reasons to encourage gardeners to go this route. As mentioned above all of your vegetables will be pesticide free, which means no poison on the food you are growing. While in flower gardening, many people plant flowers that will attract butterflies or bees which you won’t attract if you use pesticides. You especially want to remain pesticide free if you have small children or pets because chemicals could be harmful for them.

Your organic garden will be anything but simple gardening. Every garden takes effort and research and your organic garden is no exception. As with all gardens you must start with a plan. Research the plants you wish to grow. Find out what their needs are when it comes to light, fertilizer, PH in the soil and drainage. Be diligent in picking a spot that is well suited to your plants. If you are planting an herb garden select a site that is close to your kitchen door for easy harvesting. Find out if there are companion plants and if there are, consider using them.

When planting an organic garden you will need some really good compost. You can make your compost out of soil and organic matter. Organic matter includes leaves, manure, vegetable refuse, coffee grinds and eggshells. You can include peels from fruits and vegetables. (Potato skins, apple skins, orange rinds, etc.) Start your compost early, find a place to put your compost and work it frequently. By working it I mean turn it with a shovel so the organic material will break down. When you are ready to start planting work your compost into the garden beds before you plant.

Your garden location is very important. You need to pick a spot that gets lots of light and drains well. If it is a very windy spot you will have to figure out some way of sheltering. Don’t pick a low spot on your property since that might flood during heavy rains. You really want to put the garden in a place that has easy access for you and for watering with your hose.

Mentioned above were companion plants. Companion plants are plants that repel unwanted pests. If you plant roses, plant some garlic. It is said that garlic will repel rose’s nemesis, aphids. Cucumber beetles will not be a worry if you plant oregano. Marigolds will also repel many pests. For a good natural pesticide follow this recipe:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

If you come up with a good plan you can have flowers and vegetables mixed together. Make sure that you know your zone and the conditions that apply in your area. Flower and vegetable gardens will be very different in Alaska than in Florida.

Your organic garden will take some work, but it will not be in vain when you can sit back and enjoy your beautiful blooms or make some culinary delights from the vegetables and herbs you have grown.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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Rafael