Sunday, March 1, 2009

Should You Grow Your Own Vegetables?

By Bob Bryan

We're all used to seeing rising prices, but the cost of food seems to have skyrocketed in the last few years. One way to protect yourself against high food prices is to grow your own vegetables. This is also a very good way to insure you will have plenty of fresh, wholesome food, even in the face of food shortages. Surprisingly, just about anyone can grow a good vegetable garden just about anywhere. You just have to put in a little hard work.

Starting your own garden isn't an incredibly difficult thing for people to do, but it isn't a piece of cake either. By following a few common sense rules, you'll soon be enjoying the "fruits" (and vegetables) of your labor. If this is your first time starting a vegetable garden than you will want to start off small. This will give you an idea of how to garden and all of the hard work and time that it requires. You may even want to consider using containers to grow your own vegetables.

To grow your own vegetables, your garden should get six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day. So, even though it might be handy to have your vegetable garden near the house, be sure not to put it too close. You don't want your garden to be shaded by your house or any nearby trees.

When planning out your vegetable garden, remember that some soil types are not suitable for planting vegetables. To improve the quality of your soil, mix in some organic compost and other organic nutrients for best results. Do this 2-3 weeks before you plant.

If you want your plants to grow well, you must be sure to have good drainage. You don't want your vegetable garden standing in water after a soaking rain. If your plants stand in water, too long, they may drown. Be sure to dig drainage ditches around your garden. Another option is to use agriculture tile drain pipes to facilitate drainage.

Vegetable seeds can be purchased almost anywhere where you can buy the gardening tools you need. There are a number of catalogs and online stores where you can purchase a large variety of seeds, including heirloom seeds. If you want your garden to be successful and your plants plentiful than you want to buy proven stock.

Keep in mind where you would like to place each of your plants. If you place markers first, you will be able to make nice, straight rows. Be sure to place your plants at even intervals. Be careful not to put them too close together. You want them to have plenty of room to grow and thrive.

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