A Beginner’s Guide To Setting Up A Vegetable Garden

So you came across agricultural news and videos and are now inspired to start a vegetable garden but don’t know where to begin? Starting your vegetable garden will take some effort, but imagine eating all those homegrown, natural, and chemical-free vegetables.

If you know someone around who is a member of a farmer community or just experienced in vegetable gardening, you must ask them to give a few heads up about the dos and don’ts.

How to start your vegetable garden:

Begin with small plot size.

As a beginner, start with a small space because it will be easier to manage than a larger space. You’ll discover whether you prefer planting, harvesting, or watering with time. You’ll get an idea of how much produce you and your family eat in a day. For a beginner, a 6×6 vegetable garden is a decent size. Grow no crops that will take up a large portion of your garden space.

Choose the best spot for your crops.

Your choice of location is critical in the entire process, so select a site that will meet the essential two water and light requirements. Your sun-loving vegetables require at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, with no obstructions. It’s necessary to note that not all plants need the same quantity of light. Carrots, radishes, and beets can grow well if they receive at least 4 hours of sunlight. Cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, basil, and rosemary, for example, can all be grown in a container in the sun. Your garden should be in an area where water is easily accessible. Instead of sprinkling, give your garden a long drink every few days so that the water can move deeper into the soil and help your produce grow.

Decide on what you wish to grow.

The vegetables you and your family appreciate the most are the greatest to grow. Every vegetable has its unique characteristics, such as the ability to produce smaller plants that may be grown in containers, disease resistance, weather tolerance, and higher yields. Peppers and tomatoes are perennial vegetables, so you don’t need as many plants to grow them. Corn, radish, and carrots, for example, can only be harvested once before having to be replanted.

Plant your plants in soil that is rich in nutrients.

You must provide rich soil for your product to grow well. Healthy, rich soil is simple to dig and drains smoothly. By gradually adding organic matter (compost) to your soil, you can improve its texture. Because sandy soil is of vast chunks of particles, water and nutrients drain through the gaps fast. Adding compost to it will assist in filling up the holes, allowing the water and nutrients to retain better. Clay soils are the polar opposite of sandy soils; they contain small, densely packed particles that don’t allow much air to pass through. Adding compost will break up the microscopic particles, allowing plants to access more oxygen and water to drain more freely. To prepare the soil for planting, spread any necessary nutrients, such as compost, and work them into the soil using a tiller or shovel.

Finally, it would be best to prepare for insects and fungal diseases, so keep plant medicine handy and take care of weeds that may appear.

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