Home Grown Goodness - Nothing Compares to the Taste of the Vegetable Grown in Your Own Garden

Do you want to start that easy-to-grow-vegetable garden this year? Maybe you think that is isn't so easy and hesitate to start one. But lets walk together for just a few minutes and maybe we can turn your "brown thumb" into a "green thumb" somewhere along the way. Following just a few steps will ensure you end up with a bountiful not to mention delicious harvest.

Here are some of the steps we will want to look at together. Finding the right spot for your garden. Planning your garden. Tools you will need. Soil preparation. Planting, Caring and protecting your garden.

Now lets find the right spot to plant your garden. You want to find a nice, sunny site. Most vegetable plants prefer to be in the sun all day but you will need at least 6 hours of sun a day. If possible this should be full sun. Avoid areas that are shaded by buildings or trees. If you live in a windy area you will want to pick a spot that is sheltered or build some sort of wind break to protect your plants. But don't allow your windbreak to block your garden sun.

Planning what you want to grow in your garden will greatly increase your chances of a bountiful harvest. If this is your first garden you may want to start small and get to know the condition of your earth, climate bugs in your area and how much time and energy you'll spend on it.

Deciding on what vegetable you want to plant in your garden will tell you how the garden should be laid out. Vegetables like peas or beans will need something such as a fence to climb on. Cabbage, Lettuce, Spinach will just need space to grow their heads. Tomato plant will need to be supported typically by a cage. Vegetables such as cucumbers and Squash will need area's to spread out along the ground. Vegetables like Radishes, Onion, Beets and Turnips are root Vegetables.

You will want to have at least the basic tools. Some of these you may already have in your tool shed or garage. You will want a leaf rake, a wheelbarrow, and some sort of soil turning tool such as a tiller or garden fork. You will want a spade, hoe, water hose, a water wand (to water plants without hurting them), hammer, stakes, twin, knife. Use the stakes and twin to lay out lines and patterns. It is always a good practice to put plant tags in your rows so you know what is planted where.

To have healthy vegetable you will need good rich soil. The chances of you having this kind of soil in your back yard are pretty slim. So you will want to condition the soil for your garden. Start by digging in your garden area at least 8 inches deep and remove any rocks or debris. Adding organic material improves all types of soil and will allow for the right amount of nutrients, air, and water for healthy growth and crop production. Spread a two to four inch layer of compost or other organic material over the bed and work it into the soil. Because organic material is continually decomposing you will want to replenish your garden before each years planting.

This may seem dumb but when planting seeds it's always best to follow the package instructions. Follow the spacing and soil depth directions. If you will be planting starter plants and no instructions are given you can call a local nursery and ask them what the spacing and soil depth should be for that particular plant.

Watering a garden can be a science in and of itself. If you follow these common sense rules you won't go far wrong when watering your garden. Remember, when watering too much or too little can ultimately kill a plant. With that said try to water before the soil is completely dry. If you can have a drip system on a timer is a good way to ensure your plants are getting regular watering. But you will want to make sure that even with a timer you are not over watering. A rule of thumb is that the garden will need to be watered when the soil is dry about 1" deep. You can work out timing and watering duration with this rule of thumb.

The bane of every gardener it weeds and bugs. If you will pull a few weeds every other day before you water your garden you will not have any problem with weeds. Weeds can also be reduced, but not eliminated by covering the garden soil with bark or wood chips. Bugs however, are another story. The best advice here is to check with your local nursery or pest control company for treatment of your areas common vegetable pests.

If you live in one of those areas where you have a lot of creatures you will want to take action to ensure your garden doesn't become a salad bar for the local rabbits, deer or birds. If your area has gophers or moles remember they will be a threat to your root vegetables. A good rabbit proof fence needs to be at least 2 feet tall and go another 6 inches under ground. Deer fence will need to be 8 feet high, built sturdy with some kind of outrigger to discourage the deer from jumping. You will want to line the bottom of your garden with ½ inch aviary wire to deal with the gophers and moles.

Harvest time at last. You have worked all this time and now it is time to enjoy the Fruit of your labor. There is no better way to know when your vegetables are ripe than picking and tasting. This is the gardener's delight. It is a good idea to water first before pulling up your root crop this allows them to come out of the ground easily. If you leave a vegetable on the plant or vine to long it will drain needed nutrients from the other vegetables. So harvest them when they're ripe and enjoy that home grown flavor you can only get from your own garden. Here's to your success and may you have a green thumb all the days of your life.