Growing a garden that supplies a healthy harvest of fruits and vegetables is very enjoyable. It also conveniently makes these nutritious foods available to your family at a minimum cost. Even if the climate you live in is not long, you can still harvest enough produce to make the effort worthwhile. The tips in this article will give you guidance in creating your healthy garden.
The area you live in will dictate the types of fruits and vegetables you can grow easily. Seed packets usually have information about how many days are required from planting to maturity. Most larger vegetables need to least 60 days, but smaller, salad-type vegetables grow quickly and you can enjoy them within a month to six weeks. The most common types of fruits are perennial strawberries or rhubarb. These fruits produce heavily in early summer and can be enjoyed well before your vegetables are ready.
The area you choose for your garden spot can determine how easy it will be to successfully grow plants. Ideally, your garden should have full sun in the morning hours and be at least partially shaded during the early afternoon hours when the sun is very hot. You can create this arrangement by strategically installing a lattice fence in an area that will provide shade during the mid-day hours.
Properly preparing the soil of your garden is very important for successful gardening. Till the soil as deep as possible after removing all vegetation from the surface. Do not till sod into the soil because the roots will continue to send up grass and take over your garden. Amend your soil with commercial garden soil, peat moss, aged manure and compost.
Lay out your garden and plant your seeds or seedlings. Make sure you allow room for your plants to spread out. Tomato plants require at least three square feet each, and make sure they are not so crowded that the sunlight cannot reach the fruit to ripen it.
It is important to provide enough water to keep your garden soil from drying out, but do not water it so much that it puddles. This can cause the soil surface to become hard and compacted. Check your baby plants to make sure they are growing properly, remove any encroaching weeds and use a hand cultivator it loosen the soil at the base of the plants.
Organic insect control is best if you want to avoid using chemicals on your garden. Pungent spices such as cayenne or pepper scattered along the base of your plants can repel some destructive insects. Planting marigolds around the perimeter of your garden can also discourage four-legged pests such as rabbits from nibbling on tender plant shoots. In some cases, you may need to install a fence around your garden to protect it from ground-hogs or deer.
Harvesting and enjoying the fruits of your labor makes all the time and effort worthwhile. If you follow the tips provided in this article, your garden will flourish and you can enjoy an abundant harvest.
