Growing Vegetables

When growing vegetables you don't need to be a seasoned gardener.

I'm no expert but I love being outside and "fiddling" in the garden.

I also love home grown vegetables.

To succeed in most things you need to follow certain rules.

And growing vegetables or herbs are no exception.

Rules to remember:

• Prepare and nourish your soil well by adding sufficient compost.
• Maintain your garden regularly by watering it regularly and devoting a little bit of time to it every day.

Planning a Vegetable Garden

• Choose a suitable open patch of ground and plan your vegetable garden by making a note in a notebook of when you planted each kind of vegetable and what you did to each one.

  This way you will remember when you planted and fertilised each plant and when you will need to harvest them.

• Make each veggie plot large enough for you to reach your crops without stepping on other plants. Also make paths between your plots large enough to fit a wheelbarrow.

Planting a vegetable garden

LOOKING AFTER YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN

• WATERING

  Make sure you water your vegetables according to their specific needs. Do not overwater as this will strangle your plants.

• HOEING

  Use a hoe or garden fork to regularly turn the surface soil - be careful not to disturb plant roots though. Regular hoeing will keep the soil aerated.

• WEEDING

  Weeds can strangle young plants and can also steal nutrients from your soil, so get rid of them as soon as they come up! You will find their roots easier to remove a day after you have watered.

• FERTILISING

  Use natural compost or better yet make your own compost and keep your soil well composted.

• PESTS

  Avoid using insecticides, instead crush a few garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar and mix it with water. Pour this in a spray bottle and spray this directly on your vegetable and herb plants.

Home grown vegetables simply taste better than "shop" varieties - especially the humble potato! Try it, you'll see what I mean.

It is extremely satisfying serving a green salad with your home grown tomatoes , cucumber and herbs added to the mix.(o:

And your kids will love eating their own handiwork - so involve them in your vegetable gardening!

You'll be surprised when your picky eater suddenly starts eating green beans or asks you to cook beetroot for dinner!

Growing your own vegetables is extremely satisfying as it enables you to "provide" healthy, pesticide-free fresh produce for your whole family and at the same time reduce your food bill......

.......which definitely adds to the Frugal Living Lifestyle.

I'm no expert but Richard from Survival Vegetable Gardening is!

Let him show you how to start your own vegetable garden from scratch even if you have a very small garden or no garden at all!

OR

Leave your worries at the gate, as you journey with Troy and Emily through growing vegetables with A-Harvest-To-Remember-Vegetable-Gardening .

They'll give you vegetable specifics from planning to harvest and everything in between, including easy identification of common pests you may encounter along the way.

Grow it in a pot

Even if you don't have much space, or only have a patio or courtyard, Rick from Container-Gardening-For-Food.com can show you how to turn the tiniest of spaces into food-producing Edens.

Enjoy your garden.

If you love eating vegetables as much as I do, then you'll enjoy vegetable gardening just as much!


Return from growing vegetables page to the Frugal Living Home