Category: Home Gardening

Gardening at Home Previous Next Benefits of Gardening At Home When you grow your own food you are more likely to eat the fruits and vegetables you grow! Builds self reliance and resilience – Learn how to feed ourselves so we don’t have to rely on others Soil, water, sunshine and air can improve our mental health and wellbeing Requires movement that makes us healthier  Cost savings  Intergenerational interactions – people of all ages can come together to garden  Beautifies spaces  Preparing To Set Up Your Space The size of your space and your budget will determine how much food you can grow and which way to grow makes the most sense.  Sunlight Sunlight Exposure of Your Garden Location One of the most important factors to consider for vegetables as well as flowers—if not the most important factor—is sunlight exposure. To thrive and do their best, most vegetables need “full sun,” which is defined as “at least 6 hours of unobstructed sunlight per day.” In most cases, more light (8 hours) is even better. Some crops, such as broccoli, lettuce, spinach, and other greens, can tolerate less sunny spots (described as being “partial sun” or “partial shade”). In general, the more sunlight your garden receives, the greater the quantity and quality of your crops. Tip: In cooler climates, a suntrap or cold frame is ideal for tender crops. In hot climates, growing under shade cloth or in the shadow of taller climbing plants, such as pole beans, helps to expand the choice of what you can grow in these conditions.  Water Water Accessibility Be sure water is nearby and readily available near your gardening site. Nothing burns out a beginning gardener faster than having to lug water to thirsty plants during a heat wave. Plus, having water nearby means that you’re a lot less likely to skip out on watering if you’re feeling a bit lazy one day! Extra water is likely to be necessary during dry spells, so locate new garden beds close to an outdoor water source. The soil near walls, fences, and overhanging trees tends to be too dry for good plant growth, which is why an open area is best. Water conservation should also be something that you take into account when planning out your garden. Read more about watering here. Wind The Garden Site’s Protection From Wind Be sure your location is protected from heavy wind. Shelter from winds is helpful for most crops, especially those that grow upright and produce abundant amounts of fruit, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, peas, beans, and any other climbing vegetables. Strong winds dry out plants and soil and can topple extra-tall plants like corn and sunflowers. Wind also causes most plants to reduce transpiration and growth. Cold, dry winds are the worst, as they suck moisture from plants, searing leaves and causing wind burn, which destroys leaves and flowers. Bear in mind that solid walls or fences may provide shelter, but they can also cause the wind to form destructive turbulence on the sheltered side, so don’t plant too close to them. Hedges and open or woven fences are more effective, as they filter wind rather than deflect it. Soil Soil Quality of Your Garden The ideal garden location has rich, loamy soil. If you have lousy or too-thin soil, you are out of luck, or you’re going to need to do some work to prepare the soil for growing (see below). One quick way to judge the quality of your soil is to look at your yard, especially if you have a lawn. If it’s lush and healthy, then you probably have decent soil.  “Loamy” soil is composed of almost equal amounts of sand and silt with a little less clay. A good ratio is 40 percent each of sand and silt and 20 percent of clay. This is the ideal composition for growing most plants. If your soil has too much clay or too much sand, this will be a problem, and you will need to amend it with organic matter. Clay soil that remains wet for too long will suffocate plants, while sandy soil may drain too quickly, parching them. Both conditions inhibit nutrient absorption by plant roots. Good soil drains well. If you wish to test the drainage in your garden soil, dig a test pit about 1 foot deep, wide, and long. This pit will reveal if there is standing water under the surface. It will also allow you to observe how the soil drains. To test, add ½ gallon of water to an already damp pit and time how long it takes to drain. If it takes a number of hours, that’s OK, but if it takes days, water may pool under the surface in the summer when you irrigate, suffocating roots and creating anaerobic soil conditions. The very best way to figure out the quality of your soil is to get a soil test done. Many university extension services will test your soil for a small fee (or for free), providing you insight into its structural quality (sandy, loamy, or clayey), as well as its pH level (acid or alkaline?) and its nutrient health (considering nitrogen, potassium, and other necessary elements that plants need to grow well). Of course, if you’re growing in containers or raised beds, you do not have to worry as much about the soil under your gardening area. For raised beds, however, you should still consider getting your soil tested, as plants’ roots may eventually extend beyond the raised bed itself. This is especially important in urban and suburban areas, where lead and other harmful materials may be a concern. → Learn more about preparing soil for planting and soil amendments. Types of Gardens Container Gardens Raised Beds In Ground Gardens Container gardens, including grow bags like those in your Grow Your Groceries kit, are one way to grow food.  Just a few bags or containers can yield a nice amount of food Containers must be food grade (i.e. restaurant buckets, grow bags) or you could ingest plastic unknowingly Can be moved as needed  If you rotate crops, you can grow a variety of fruit, vegetables, and herbs in just a few containers Raised beds are another way to grow your own food. While they might allow you more space