Growing Vegetables

Selecting a suitable location for growing vegetables is the first task at hand. All vegetables require a minimum of six hours of sunlight to grow and produce a good yield.

There are some shade tolerant vegetables such as lettuce and broccoli, but they still require at least three to four hours of sun each day.

Planning your first garden can be very exciting, but making a garden too large at first can be daunting. It’s better to select a small area that won’t require as much maintenance as a large one. This allows the individual to get accustomed to the tasks involved and learn to care for different varieties of vegetables.

Ideally a garden should be placed on level land. If there is a slope greater than 1.5 percent , then terracing the garden beds will prevent rapid water runoff.

Avoid planting near shallow – rooted trees such as maples, poplars and willows, since their roots will compete with vegetables for nutrients and water. The roots may also extend into the plot.

Prepare the Area

Plan to place gardening beds in a north-south orientation for the best sun exposure.

Reduce weeding by selecting a site with few weeds. If this is not possible, then weed the area thoroughly to prepare the garden space.

When first starting a garden it is necessary to prepare the soil by digging deeply. Plants require about eight inches (18 cm) of loose friable soil. Poor soil will need the addition of organic matter such as manure, compost, leaf mould or seaweed. In subsequent years, organic matter should be added every spring and fall. The importance of organic matter cannot be overstated. The microorganisms in organic matter are constantly breaking down the material. During this process nitrogen is released into the soil and made available for plant use.

Examine the soil that you have at your garden site. This is an important factor when considering the watering needs of your plants and how well water drains through the soil.

Loam soils with a combination of sand, silt, and clay have the best drainage and moisture retention capabilities.

Sandy soil drains water too quickly and plants cannot absorb it. Add compost or peat moss to make improvements.

Clay soils absorb water slowly. Adding organic material will help to improve the composition of clay and assist drainage.

Vegetables also require a soil with a pH between 6 and 8. A soil – testing kit can be used easily to check your soil.

Select Your Plants

Plants can be bought as seedlings from a garden center. This is preferable for plants that require a longer growing period such as tomato’s and peppers. Others, such as carrots, cucumbers, beans, beets, radishes and peas are best grown from seed and placed directly into the garden bed.

Consider the growing habits of each plant before placing in the garden. Plants such as peas and lettuce prefer cooler temperatures and are not as susceptible to frost damage. They can be planted earlier in the growing season. Many seeds need a warm soil in order to germinate. Tomato’s and peppers should not be planted until all danger of frost is over.

Maintaining a Healthy Garden

Plants often need a little help from us to reach their full potential. In order to grow healthy plants a nutrient-rich soil is needed, along with sufficient water and sunlight. This will enable them to resist insect and disease problems. Compost is the best method of adding nutrients and is preferable to synthetic fertilizers.

Weed the garden on a regular basis. Weeds compete with the vegetable plants for nutrients and also harbour insects and disease.

Mulch the garden to deter the growth of weeds. Mulch also helps to retain moisture in the soil as well as regulate soil temperature.

Provide support for certain types of vegetables such as peas, tomato’s, beans and cucumbers. These can be stakes, trellises or a supporting frame.

Benefits are:

• adds space in the garden
• better air circulation
• easier to harvest
• greater light exposure for the plants.

Harvest as soon as vegetable ripen and remove plants that are finished harvesting. Enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Remove diseased parts of plants to avoid the spread of disease to healthy plants. Sometimes it may be necessary to remove the entire plant.

There is a wealth of knowledge about vegetable gardening for those who have an interest in growing some of their own food. A small area in a flower bed may be all that one wants. Small plots or even larger areas, depending on your experience and desires, will provide ample opportunities to try your gardening skills.

References

The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, 1978.

Gardenmaking Magazine, Summer 2010

Vegetable Gardening Guru, “Planning a Vegetable Garden”, 2006.

Vegetable Gardening Guru, “Garden Care”, 2006