Who does not love the smell of freshly cut grass and the sight of an abundance of colorful flowers in your own backyard? You can have that and more by planting your vegetable garden! In this essay, you will learn everything you need to know about growing a vegetable garden, from choosing the right location to taking care of your plants and everything in between. Let us walk you through the easy steps to growing your dream garden from scratch.
❇️ THE TOP FOUR ESSENTIALS
Of course, there can be as many tips for growing a successful vegetable garden as there are stars in the galaxy. However, we can shrink them down to the top four essential tips. With some planning and preparation, you can plant your dream garden easily. Have a look at the top four essentials of growing a vegetable garden:
⭕ Choose the Best Location for Your Garden
One of the first things to do when you plan to plant a vegetable garden is choose the correct location. Depending upon where you reside, there are various factors you should consider when selecting the right spot. You can go for indoor gardens if you live in an apartment and an outdoor garden if you have an adequate space outside your place. In both cases, there are two critical factors to consider:
Sunlight: The most significant factor is sunlight. Find a space that receives at least 5 to 6 hours of sunlight every day. It is simpler to plant your garden from seeds if it is outdoors. However, be vigilant in choosing a space for indoor plants that receive plenty of sunlight.
Temperature: If you want to grow plants that produce fruits, such as strawberries or tomatoes, you need to find a location where the temperature is between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are growing herbs or plants that produce flowers, such as sunflowers or zinnias, you may choose a shaded location where it receives less sunlight.
⭕ Select the Proper Vegetables
Next, select the proper vegetables for your garden. You can choose any vegetables that grow well in your region. However, looking out for pests and diseases is essential if you invest in an outdoor garden. You can start by choosing plants that naturally repel pests. It will allow your vegetable garden to have the beauty of flowers and the perk of them being natural repellants. Here are some plants you can add to your garden based on what they can keep away:
Citronella Grass: It has a noticeable smell, making it one of the most frequently used natural ingredients that keep mosquitoes away from your garden. You can plant this grass or hire professional landscapers such as MPR Landscapes to preserve your garden’s aesthetic and soothing appeal.
Petunias: Consider planting Petunias if you plan to grow a vegetable garden. Petunias act as natural repellants for many vegetable garden threats such as tomato worms, beetles, and aphids. However, their distinct smell may attract slugs and caterpillars.
Marigolds: Plant Marigolds on your lawn if you wish to keep mice, plant lice, and aphids away. Marigolds have been used as natural repellants by vegetable farmers for decades. You can pair them up with other flowers without affecting their growth or beauty.
Lemongrass: It contains citronella oil and is a natural mosquito repellant. It requires heat to thrive and can grow about 3 to 4 feet within one season.
Catnip: You can keep your garden safe from mites, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and flies by planting Catnips. Catnips repel insects by setting off a chemical sensor for irritants.
Peppermint: The pungent smell of peppermint allows you to protect your garden from aphids, beetles, moths, plant lice, and caterpillars. If you wish to have an insect-free garden, consider taking help from mint plants.
⭕ Prepare the Soil
It is essential to prepare the soil if you want to ensure your plants thrive. Rich and soft soil produce healthy plants. You can start by removing all rocks and debris from your soil before loosening it up to 10 to 12 inches to make it easier for roots to reach down. Compost and organic matter allow you to enhance the quality of your soil, which will produce your plants better. Ensure the soil is moist (not wet) when you put the organic matter on it to see the best results.
If you are growing an outdoor garden, prepare the soil at least 6 to 8 weeks before planting your vegetables and flowers. However, when indoor gardening, you can start preparing the soil 3 to 4 weeks before planting. You may also add good fertilizers to the soil to ensure your plants have everything they require to grow healthy and productive. Adding compost reduces the need for adding fertilizers. Hence, if you go for compost, you may not need to invest in fertilizers. It is best to consult a professional landscaper if you are unsure or hire a professional company such as MPR Landscapes to help you transform your garden into its most desirable form.
⭕ The Right Timing
The last essential factor you need to consider before planting your garden is to plant each vegetable and flower at the right time. It is ideal to select vegetables and flowers that grow simultaneously to have a continuous harvest all year long. For instance, for a vegetable garden, if you wish to grow tomatoes, you can plant eggplants and peppers since they grow well with tomatoes. You can plant tomatoes at the end of August or September. This way, you will have enough time to grow them until they produce fruits in time for the winter. You can find the best time to plant each vegetable by visiting an online gardening calendar.
Here are some vegetables and the ideal time to grow them in Canada:
Green Beans: A popular vegetable that takes up to sixty days to be ready to harvest. It is quick and easy to grow. Please pay attention to the amount of direct sunlight it gets. Ideally, six to eight hours of sunlight per day will do wonders. Water the plant enough and do it regularly. The key to growing successful and tasty green beans is to grow them during summer or relatively warmer months.
Radishes: It is a healthy and low-maintenance vegetable you can grow in Canada. Due to its versatility and quick harvest time, it is among the most popular vegetables to grow in a Canadian garden. Ensure to water your radishes regularly and keep the soil moist with the help of mulch. It is typically ready to harvest between twenty to sixty days. The perfect months to plant radish are April through early May, as they do well in cooler temperatures. Later, you can plant them again in August.
Lettuce: Who doesn’t love some fresh, home-grown lettuce to have with your homemade salad? You can grow this tasty vegetable best in spring and fall, during the cooler weather. However, it can grow adequately in summers as well. It is typically ready to be harvested in about thirty to seventy days. It is ideal to plant them during March and expect them to be prepared for harvest by the end of May or the start of June.
Peas: Easy to grow and not costly, peas are the ideal vegetable snack you can grow yourself. Like lettuce, peas grow best during cooler seasons such as spring and fall but will do just fine in summers. The harvest time for peas is about sixty to seventy days. You can plant peas in March for them to be ready around the end of May.
❇️ PRO TIPS FOR TAKING CARE OF YOUR PLANTS
Now that you have planted your garden, it’s time to take care of your plants. Here are some tips to avoid the common mistakes people make during gardening:
Water: The best way to look after your plants is to water them sufficiently and fertilize them regularly. Be aware of overwatering your plants as it can kill the roots of your plants due to waterlogging. If gardening outdoors, you should water your plants every 2 to 3 days. However, gardening indoors, you should water your plants every day. You can figure out whether the soil requires more water by digging around it and feeling the dampness. If it is damp, it is good to go. If not, you should consider watering. The perfect time to water your plants or vegetables is in the morning and the evening. Morning watering allows your plants to survive the day easily under the heat and perform well. Evening watering allows your plants to retain some water to make it through the night.
Fertilize: If you desire to grow healthy and tasty vegetables, you must fertilize them regularly. You can use commercial fertilizers or organic fertilizers, depending on the plant type you will use them for. Do not go overboard with fertilizers because the roots of your plants may not be strong enough to provide sufficient water and nutrients to the plant. The excess growth caused by the fertilizers can be the downfall of your garden’s aesthetic. If you are gardening outdoors, you can use fertilizer once every month. If gardening indoors, you need to fertilize your plants every week. Be careful with your fertilizing frequency and choices. It is wiser to consult a professional company wherever possible, and ideal to hire professionals such as MPR Landscapes. However, these tips will be helpful enough as they are.
Sunlight: Especially in the case of indoor gardens, many people lose their garden’s aesthetic appeal because they allow limits on sunlight. Avoid making this grave mistake. Sunlight is to plants what food is to humans. Without allowing enough sunlight, you can water your plants as much as you like, but your plants will not survive. No amount of fertilizers or mulch can replace a plant’s need for sunlight; hence, it is advisable to place your indoor garden where the plants are sure to receive six to eight hours of daylight each day.
Weeds: Look out for weeds growing in your garden because they rob your plants of the necessary nutrients. Weeds are plants that grow without your consent or effort. It is nature’s way of healing scarred spaces. The best thing you can do about them is to pull them out from their roots to protect your other plants and vegetables. If you let them grow, they will fester and eat up all the nutrients in the soil meant for your plants. Find out more about our weed removal in this essay.
Quitting: One of the reasons why many people cannot take care of an indoor or outdoor vegetable garden is because they quit. Understand that no plant, flower, or vegetable can grow in two hours. It would help if you put in consistent efforts and have enough water, sunlight, and fertilizers to ensure they grow well. Giving up on your garden is not going to make it fruitful. Remember that consistency is the key to gardening success, but if you cannot invest consistently, do you not worry. We have got your back! You can reach out to us and let us take care of your garden. We provide garden maintenance from knowing which plants work best together to designing and creating excellent landscapes.
❇️ Conclusion
In conclusion, you now know how to plant a vegetable garden and care for your plants! With a little effort and patience, you can have a beautiful and bountiful vegetable garden in no time! If you have always wanted to have your dream garden but did not know where to begin, this essay is the one for you. With the tips and advice in this article, we hope you were able to learn how to start growing your garden from seed. Follow these tips to have a beautiful garden full of delicious fruits and veggies in minimal time. You can use the harvested produce to make tasty foods or give them as gifts to your loved ones!
