Home gardening is a great way to grow your own fresh produce, a habit that can lead to a healthier diet. The best vegetable gardens are productive and provide a steady harvest all season long.
Gardening requires patience, but the rewards are well worth it. Learn some simple tricks to save time and energy.
Preparing the Soil
Soil is the foundation of a successful garden, but it needs to be prepared properly before planting vegetables. The soil should be aerated, loose, and nutrient-rich to ensure a bountiful harvest of healthy plants. It is also important that your garden soil be rich in organic matter, which provides a nourishing home for beneficial organisms such as earthworms and insects.
Good soil has many tiny pore spaces in which the plant roots can breathe and hold water. In addition, the particles of soil bind together to form aggregates that are more aerated and easier for the roots to penetrate.
To improve your garden soil, you can add a layer of compost or aged manure. Compost nourishes your soil with a wide range of nutrients and helps to retain moisture in sandy and clay soils.
A thick layer of compost can be worked into lightly moist soil, with a rototiller or spade, at least a month before planting. It should be at least 6-7cm deep and spread out in the area where you plan to grow.
Aged manure is a rich source of nutrients and can help to balance acidic and alkaline soils. It can be made from organic waste or bought as a bagged product.
Adding plenty of plant materials to the soil is another great way to help your soil thrive. These include leaves, grass clippings, straw and wood casings.
These materials are decomposed and improve the soil’s structure by creating tiny pores that let air in and water out, and aerate the soil. They can also improve the soil’s ability to hold water, which helps the plant roots reach deep into the ground and thrive.
It’s a good idea to get your soil tested before you add any amendments to it. You can do this yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.
Soil tests tell you what type of soil you have, as well as the nutrient levels and pH of that soil. The right type of soil can make your plants more productive and less prone to disease, while the wrong kind can cause unwanted weeds to grow.
Planting Vegetables
Vegetable gardening is a fun and rewarding activity. It also helps promote a nutritious diet and reduces food costs. It’s easy to get started, too: All you need is a sunny spot and some seeds or transplants.
Before you plant, make sure your soil is ready: Check the pH and nutrient content with a soil analysis, then amend it with organic material such as compost and mulch. It’s important to start small and gradually increase your garden’s size as you gain experience and confidence.
A well-drained soil with plenty of nutrients is the key to healthy vegetables. If your soil doesn’t drain well, you might want to use raised beds or rows to improve the flow of water to the plants’ roots.
If you have rocky soil, add a lot of organic matter to help the ground swell and hold moisture. It will also provide structure to the soil and a healthy home for your vegetable plants’ roots.
Once your soil is ready, plant cool-season crops in the spring and warm-season ones in the summer. It’s also a good idea to plant your cold-tolerant crops earlier than normal so that they won’t have to wait until the end of summer for the first frost to kill them off.
It’s best to grow vegetables that require little care, are quick to mature, and suffer few pests or diseases. You’ll be rewarded with fresh, tasty produce and a happier, more productive garden.
MU Extension publication G6201, Vegetable Planting Calendar, is an excellent resource for determining recommended spring and fall planting dates. It also provides a list of more than 35 vegetable crops that grow well in Missouri, including nutritional information and basic tips for growing them.
Vegetable gardening is also a great way to get kids involved in the garden. Children love to learn about plants and watch them grow. They also love to eat the fruits and vegetables that they helped grow.
Vegetables are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are also a healthy and delicious addition to any meal.
Watering Vegetables
Water is the most important aspect of a successful home garden. It makes up 90 percent of a vegetable or fruit’s weight, affects its yield, and prevents a variety of disorders such as toughness, off-flavor, blossom-end rot, and misshapen fruit.
Most vegetables need about an inch of water a week, whether they are planted in the ground or in containers or raised beds. This amount is based on the average temperature, but some plants require more or less water than others.
For the best results, water your vegetable garden early in the morning when temperatures are cooler. The water will soak into the soil quicker and may help cool the leaves that have been exposed to direct sunlight. Avoid wetting leaves when the temperatures are higher as this will encourage foliar disease to spread.
Keep in mind that certain vegetable plants have critical stages in their growth when they need more or less water than other plants. For example, lima beans, pole beans, snap beans, and sweet corn need steady moisture while they are flowering and producing seeds; tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, and eggplant need water during their fruit development; cucumbers and squash need steady moisture from the moment they emerge from the ground until they are ready for harvest.
Other crops, such as radishes, Swiss chard, and celery need consistent moisture throughout their life cycle. In fact, many of these plants prefer to be watered consistently all year round instead of only at specific times during their growing season.
One of the best ways to water your vegetable garden is with a hose and nozzle that sprays a wide stream of water onto the soil. This water will penetrate deeper than a splashing hose or a sprinkler that hits the plant only.
Another way to water is to create shallow furrows between the rows of your garden. This helps to channel the water directly to the roots of each vegetable. It takes a bit of time for water to flow from the beginning of each row to the end, so it is wise to leave a little extra room in the furrows.
Harvesting Vegetables
During the growing season, it’s important to pick vegetables at the right time so that they remain tasty and fresh. The best time to harvest is early in the morning when the temperature is coolest. This will ensure that your vegetables are crisp, juicier and sweeter than when they’re picked later in the day.
Using a garden fork, sharp knife or other implement to gently remove vegetables is a good idea for most crops. This will prevent the tearing and breaking of plant stems and foliage that can lead to disease infection, decrease storage life and affect eating quality.
A garden basket, trug or handy garden colander are ideal places to put harvested vegetables so they can be easily washed and eaten. This will also help reduce bruising and bruises that can shorten vegetable shelf lives and increase the risk of spreading diseases to other stored vegetables.
If you want to make sure that your crop is at its best, use a measuring tape or other method of determining how much of each vegetable you have left. You may need to pick more than you expected, especially if there are large fruits on the plant.
As you harvest, keep an eye out for ripening signs on the plants that you’re picking, such as turning colors or becoming plump and juicy. These are the most obvious indicators that it’s time to pick your produce.
For some crops, such as beans, cucumbers, yellow squash and zucchini, you need to pick them early and often in order to stimulate their growth and to get the most fruit from the plant. Waiting too long will result in tougher or woodier plants and fewer fruit.
Watering your garden is an essential part of maintaining a healthy, productive crop. The amount of water your garden needs will depend on the type of soil and the size of the plants. Keeping the garden well watered will prevent the development of many common diseases and help your plants to thrive.