Welcome to the productive world of vegetable gardening! To help get you and your garden off to the right start, I’ve compiled five vegetable gardening tips.
1. Sunny location
Food-producing plants will need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Observe the location where you plan to have your vegie garden to ensure it’s not shaded by nearby buildings or trees. Ideally, make drawings in your garden diary throughout all four seasons to ensure it is an all-year-round sunny spot. Or, go through your phone’s photo album as they collect date, time and location information from when you take a photo.
If you don’t have one flat surface that is in the sun most of the day, consider growing vegetables in moveable containers so they can be moved each season to capture the sun. Vertical gardening can also help put vegetables in the sun when ground space is limited.
2. Feed the soil
Soil feeds the plants so you must feed the soil. Work in plenty of compost or well-aged cow dung into the soil before planting your garden.
3. Stay close to water
Vegetables need lots of water on hot days. Placing your garden close to a water source will make watering easier for you.
Use a tank to capture and collect roof run-off and use it to water plants. When that’s not possible, design your garden near the tap and invest in a good garden hose.
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4. Right plants
Select the right plants for your climate and the size of your garden. If you have a small garden space or grow vegetables in containers, select bush and dwarf varieties. The plants will produce full-size vegetables on small plants.
5. Plant at the right time
Most seeds will indicate on the package when its time to sow, directly or by raising indoors, and when you should expect germination and subsequent food.
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