Start Small When Gardening at Home
Gardening at home is a great way to economize when you include your favorite vegetables, but there are so many other benefits, too. You’ll appreciate the physical activity, the pleasure of choosing a tomato out of your garden for your dinner salad and the beauty of your plants as they grow.
If you’re a beginning gardener, you may want to start small. It’s easy to get excited when you see the rows of little tomato and bean plants at your local nursery. You may start picturing a lush, green paradise in your backyard and friends gathered around your table, eating the harvest of your labor.
It’s important to note, though, that a small, well cared-for garden often yields more than a bigger garden that can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips for getting started gardening at home:
- Remember that one tomato plant can produce up to 10 pounds of fruit in a season, and that each row you plant will require watering, weeding and, possibly, pest control. Start with a small plot or a few containers and plan to expand each year as you get more experienced.
- Choose a sunny spot for your garden plot or your containers. If you don’t have six to eight hours of full sun each day, your vegetables won’t thrive. Shady yards aren’t hopeless, though, because there are many varieties of lettuce and spinach that do well in shade.
- Make sure there’s a water source nearby. One of the biggest tasks connected to gardening is making sure your vegetable plants are adequately hydrated, so consider how far you’ll need to haul water or drag a hose before you start planting.
- Evaluate the soil. Your garden will do best with well-drained soil that has a lot of organic matter in it. Think about choosing a location with a slight incline, so that water can seep in, but then can also drain away from your plants once they’ve had a good drink.
- Choose plants that you like to eat. It doesn’t matter if your neighbor tells you how easy it is to grow zucchini. If you aren’t a zucchini fan, you may not enjoy the task of caring for a zucchini plant. Many people like to get started with a little salsa garden, growing tomatoes and a variety of peppers for their favorite recipe. You could also grow some of your favorite salad ingredients, including loose leaf lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and radishes.
- You have a lot of options when it comes to getting started. You can begin with seeds and grow them indoors in early spring, or you can buy starter plants at your local nursery. Many beginning gardeners go this route to ease themselves into the process.
- Water, feed and weed your plants. When it looks ready to eat, it probably is!
Gardening at home is a pleasure that comes with a lot of benefits, and it’s easy to get started with a small garden. As your garden grows, you’ll appreciate incorporating Kincaid Plant Markers to keep your rows organized and beautiful. Check out our selection of attractive plant markers to help you identify your plants and provide the individual care that each one requires.
