Starting your own at-home vegetable garden is a great way to save money on fruits and vegetables. A measly $2 tomato plant over the entire season can give you nearly ten pounds of fruit.
You and your family also get to eat delicious fruits and veggies without breaking the bank. Being able to pull food straight from your own garden is not only a money saver, but something fun that you can do as a family.
The first step you need to take is deciding what to plant in your vegetable garden. You must consider not only what you want, but what you have time to take care of.
Deciding on Vegetables to Plant
Many people get very excited at the idea of a vegetable garden with eyes bigger than their means. Starting off small is the best thing you can do.
Sometimes people have the tendency to plant more veggies than they actually need, so starting off small is always the best idea. Vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, and squash will keep you filled with vegetables all season long so you may not need to plant as much as you think. Radishes, carrots, and corn only come up once, so if you want more, you will need to plant more.
Determining the Amount of Space
One important thing to remember when starting a vegetable garden is that you usually do not need as much space as you might originally have thought.
You should keep your garden about 10×10 in size to keep the weeds away. The more space there is, the more likely you are going to grow weeds instead of vegetables.
You can even put veggies, such as tomatoes, into a container to save on space.
Picking the Right Spot to Plant Your Garden
No matter how big or small your garden is, there are three specific things your plants need to thrive and grow beautifully.
- Lots of Sunlight – Vegetables tend to require between 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. If these veggies do not get the sun they need, they will not grow as much, and they will be prone to get attacked by diseases or bugs. (If you can’t find a sunny spot, consider growing spinach or lettuce, neither require as much sun as other vegetables.)
- Lots of Water – Typical vegetables are not tolerant to drought, you must give your plants water during the day when it has been a long time since it’s rained. Keep your garden close to a place where you have easy access to your water source. This will make it much easier on you in the long run.
- Great soil – Your vegetable garden will require good soil to grow properly. Vegetables tend to do best in moist soil that has lots of organic elements.
Keeping your garden close to your house is a good idea as well. It will be much easier when it is time to harvest your produce that you are going to cook. Putting together some planted pots near your grill is not a bad idea either.