7 Tips to Grow a Vagetable Garden

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to save your money.
It is also a brilliant way to keep the kids entertained, involved and part of something from beginning to end.
It will give them more appreciation about where food comes from as they see from a handful and even in some cases a single seed can grow into a fully fledged vegetable. Food that is grown by yourself always seems to taste so much better than purchased at the market place.

Not all home grown vegetables look exactly like you see them in your local store, there are often deformed to a degree but who cares, you have grown them and the sense of accomplishment you feel is better than any other feeling, after all this is completely normal and they taste exactly the same.

There is not as much to do as you think when you starting vegetable gardens; turning up the soil and making compost, planting the seeds, watering and then just sit back and watch your work grow. It is fun!
After planting make sure that you keep your vegetable garden weeded and watered. Let Mother Nature do the rest. Some people say that starting vegetable gardens are hard and complicated but why make it harder than it is?

First Tip:

Pick the place for the vegetable garden. Look for a space that gets sun during the daylight hours; use a time frame of at least six hours of direct sunlight. This make certain enough sun and warmth gets to the plants. Pick a location with good drainage. Locations prone to standing water or slow to drain will cause root rot and make the plants prone to fungus and other diseases. Remember to create a growing area large enough for the vegetables you wish to grow.

Second Tip:

Select the vegetables to grow. Choose vegetables that you and your family like and will eat. Do research on growing conditions and planting seasons for the vegetables to help plan the garden. Consult with local garden centers to find out what types and varieties of vegetables grow best in your area. Read the seed packets to find out the yield of each seed packet

Third Tip

Make a layout of your garden. You don't have to plant all the seeds in the packet if you won't consume all of the produce; put away in a dry place the leftover seeds for the next year. Keep the unused seeds in the packets; fold the packets in half with the label visible and place the packet inside a sealed plastic bag.

Fourth Tip:

Plant the vegetables. Use pre-started plants for vegetables such as tomatoes, peas and broccoli because these take longer to start from seed. Plant vegetables according to the appropriate seasonal schedule; cool weather plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, peas and onions need to be started early while tomatoes, carrots and potatoes must wait until after the last frost of early spring.

Fifth Tip:

The garden must be maintained. Keep weeds under control to ensure the vegetable plants have enough nutrients to achieve a full growth. Water the planted areas weekly unless a sustained rain has fallen during the week.
Fertilize the soil using compost or mulch instead of commercial fertilizers to save more money; home made work just as well as commercial grade and can be created from materials found around the yard.

Sixth Tip:

Plant vegetables that give multiple harvests throughout the year; broccoli, tomato, beans, peas and cucumbers are examples of vegetables that continue to produce multiple harvests. Reuse ground made available by single harvest vegetables to get maximum yield from the area. Radishes can be replaced by carrots, lettuce can be replaced by winter squash. Cycle vegetables throughout the year as well; second crops of radish, carrot, squash or onion can be planted if you remember not to plant them in the same space used for their first crop. This is very important to keep in mind. Vegetables must be rotated in order to avoid draining the soil of nutrients needed by specific vegetables.

Seventh Tip:

Make a plan on how to use or consume the vegetables. Freeze or dry out harvests to get more use from home grown vegetables. Put vegetables in soups and stews to extend their use. Use fresh vegetables as snacks or sides to dinners; use potatoes for French fries and chips; use celery and carrot sticks as quick snacks. Allow up to 1/3 of the plants to go to seed; pick the seeds and save them for the next year. This ensures you save money and can still plant successive gardens using the original seeds.
There is not as much to do as you think when you starting vegetable gardens; turning up the soil and making compost, planting the seeds, watering and then just sit back and watch your work grow. It is fun and your food will taste better.