How to Start Your Vegetable Garden From Seeds
Growing your own vegetables is a healthy pastime. Not only do you get to harvest your own food, but you'll keep fit while tending to your garden. In today's world, with economic concerns, you'll also find that your vegetable garden will save you money. Your grocery bill goes down because you're picking dinner, or part of it, from right outside your kitchen door. The pleasures of growing such a garden are many and the rewards satisfying. Start with quality (and not genetically modified) seed packages from a reputable nursery or farm. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Spades/shovels
- Hoe(s)
- Rake(s)
- Pitchfork
- Soil
- Seeds
- Fertilizer/compost
- Watering source
- Tiller (optional)
Instructions
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Choose the area you want to plant. The size of your vegetable garden will determine what you can plant. If you choose a large garden, tilling the soil will be the first step. Rent or borrow a tiller if you don't currently own one, as a tiller will save a lot of work. If your garden is smaller, or you don't have a tiller, start by turning the soil by hand. Dig to a depth of about 10 or 12 inches. Remove clumps of grass, weeds, roots and debris. Remove larger rocks. Small pebble-sized rocks aren't usually an issue unless they are extremely numerous.
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Till the soil again after several days, up to a week or so later. This helps reduce further weeds and loosens the soil even more. Add decomposed compost over the entire area and till it in. If the soil has a lot of clay, consider adding a small percentage of sand to help with drainage. Also add small wood chips or other amendment and mix these in well. Add fertilizer/vegetable food according to box instructions. Sprinkle the garden lightly and let it rest for another week. Pull out weed seedlings as they come up, or hoe to remove them.
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Shape your rows. Using a spade, heavy rake or hoe, mound up rows to about 4 inches high and 1 or 2 feet across. Leave paths between rows, as you'll need to maneuver for weeding and harvesting. Add a few hills for squash or pumpkins.
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Organize your seed according to high growers, low growers, early cool weather, later season and so forth. For example, if you plant in early spring, peas, lettuce and spinach will grow. If you don't begin your garden until early summer, it could be too hot for them to succeed, unless you live in the cooler north. Plan to place corn, tall tomatoes, cucumber vines and other higher growers where they won't create shade for the low growers, such as lettuce, beets or bush beans.
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Bush beans grow lower than climbing and pole beans. Follow the seed package instructions for depths and plant the rows. Keep the seeds away from the very edges of each row. Some seeds only need 1/4 inch of depth, while others might need 2 inches. Space seeds widely enough for the plants to have room to grow. Mix very tiny seeds into a handful or two of soil, then plant by spreading along the row and covering. For larger seeds, poke small holes or press them into the soil and cover.
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Water in the seeds well. Keep the ground moist until sprouts appear, then taper off and water regularly, but don't create swampy mud. Well draining soil usually will soak the water up quickly without puddling. Lay straw between the rows to walk upon. This helps keep the ground somewhat moist, but also prevents mud from splattering or getting on your shoes.
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Tips & Warnings
Organic gardening will give you great results. Simply avoid chemical fertilizers and toxic bug or other sprays. Your family will be healthier, too.
Since digging can be very hard work, get the whole family to help out or offer a few friends a pot of soup and some fresh baked bread for their efforts.
Get the kids involved -- small children love playing in dirt, so let the youngest ones have their own small area to plant. Radishes, for example, grow quickly and they'll be delighted to pull them out of the ground.
Use caution when tilling an area that could have underground wires or cables and pipes. Know your yard before you turn on the tiller.
Wild animals seem to love a country garden. While sharing a few bites here and there is fine, if you don't want to lose a good part of your garden to deer, raccoons, rabbits and other critters, think about placing a high chicken wire or other fence around the garden's perimeter.
References
Resources
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