Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A Basic Guide To Growing Your Own Vegetables

By Bob Bryan

We're all used to seeing rising prices, but the cost of food seems to have skyrocketed in the last few years. One way to protect yourself against high food prices is to grow your own vegetables. This is also a very good way to insure you will have plenty of fresh, wholesome food, even in the face of food shortages. Surprisingly, just about anyone can grow a good vegetable garden just about anywhere. You just have to put in a little hard work.

Many people think that planting a vegetable garden is incredibly hard, but this just isn't true. Nonetheless, it is not entirely easy, either. It does take common sense and the ability to follow rules and directions. If you are able to follow tried and true methods, you should soon be able to enjoy your very own fresh produce. If you are just starting off with your first vegetable garden, start small. A container garden might be the ideal way for you to get your hands dirty, so to speak. Take time to learn and then expand from there.

To be able to grow your own vegetables, you should locate your vegetable garden in an area that gets six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day. A spot near the house may be desireable, but consider any shade or trees that might block out the sun.

Having the right soil is important. There are certain types of soil that are more difficult to grow things in. In order to improve the soil you should mix it with organic compost or a high quality fertilizer. It is best to mix these materials into the soil about 2-3 weeks before planting.

The soil used in your vegetable garden must be able to provide the right drainage to keep your plants growing well. Retaining too much moisture in the soil and garden can cause your plants to be waterlogged and die. Digging ditches around the garden or installing an agricultural tile drain is a smart choice to enhance drainage.

You can get vegetable seed just about anywhere that gardening tools are sold. You can also get seeds from online stores and catalogs. When you look through these, heirloom seeds and other valuable seeds may be a nice choice. Also, be sure to buy proven stock. In that way, you will give your garden an added boost for success.

Keep in mind where you would like to place each of your plants. If you place markers first, you will be able to make nice, straight rows. Be sure to place your plants at even intervals. Be careful not to put them too close together. You want them to have plenty of room to grow and thrive. - 16004

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