Eat Well And Heartily By
Growing Crops In Your Own
Vegetable Garden

There are many advantages to having your very own vegetable garden. Growing your own vegetables is good for your health and your wallet, and they taste, oh so much better than shop bought ones

Gardening gets you out in the fresh air, you get excercise without having to pay to go to the gym, and if it's sunny you may even get a tan....

A vegetable garden is generally far easier to look after than a flower garden, simply because vegetables tend to be more resilient, particularly in various kinds of weather conditions.

A vegetable patch will in most cases require a good amount of space, although a few vegetables can do quite well in plant boxes. It really will depend on the kind of vegetables you are going to plant, and the kind of results you expect.

Planting Vegetables...

The traditional method of planting vegetables is laying them out in straight, organized lines, this is the most efficient way. Quite a few people choose to plant alternating rows of different kinds of vegetables, so that when one kind of vegetable is ready to be harvested, the rows in between have vegetables that are still growing.

Another extremely popular way of growing vegetables is planting them in raised beds as opposed to the traditional rows. If well organized they can be a lot less work to look after, as there is less digging, weeds are easier to get at and drainage is better.

For homeowners with small gardens (particularly those who reside in the city), vegetables and herbs can be grown in plant boxes and containers.

Preparing the soil...

An extremely important factor when planting a vegetable garden is the preparation of the soil,and that is regardless of whether you're planning to raise vegetables on a plot of land or in a plant box or container.

Fundamentally there are 3 different kinds of soil. The very best of these for growing vegetables is loam because it has an abundant of humus and organic matter. This type of soil looks and feels good, it is dark soft and crumbly, and while it holds water, it also drains well and is easy to dig.

Other types of soils that we are concerned with are sand and clay, and although they are not as good as loam, with the addition of humus and the correct nutrients, vegetables will be able to grow quite happily.

In fact...

Clay has many nutrients, but because of it's structure sticks together and can be very hard to dig, which also makes for poor drainage. Although clay can be hard work the high nutrient levels make it good soil to work with.

The addition of humus stops small particles from sticking so tightly together, that then creates larger spaces that drain more readily and hold air thereby improving the texture of the soil.

Sandy soil however is just the opposite, having large particles and a coarse structure. This soil drains so quickly it drains out rapidly, and roots on most plants do not take well. Again with the addition of humus and the appropriate nutrients you can grow a large variety of vegetables.

Because all soils are going to vary in their makeup, you could use a soil kit to determine exactly what needs to be added to your vegetable garden to correct the deficiencies in your soil.

Crop Rotation...

Crops can be categorized under three headings roots, brassicas and other crops. These different groups should be rotated every year so as to not introduce pests and diseases, which if get out of hand can be difficult to get rid of.

Root Crops include beetroot, parsnip,carrot, potato
Brassicas include cabbage, swede, turnip, broccoli, radish, cauliflower
Other Crops would include lettuce, marrow,onion, beans, capsicum,peas,spinach,tomato

Typically roots crops should have a general fertilizer added prior to planting. Brassicas, manure, compost, lime if soil is not alkaline and a general fertilizer before planting Other Crops , manure,compost, general fertilizer before planting and lime if the soil is acidic.

There are a couple of different methods of crop rotation. Which one you choose will depend largely on the size of garden and the resources available to you.

Composting...

If you have a large enough vegetable garden you could consider investing in a compost bin and making your own compost. You can use both garden and kitchen waste, and remember to keep the heat in and the water out. Do not use lime just a little soil in between organic layers of waste.

You will find this is both eco friendly and a cost effective way of enriching the soil in your vegetable garden.

An important aspect of gardening is the damage that can be caused by a wide range of garden pests. It is important to identify the problem and deal with it as soon as possible if you want your garden to thrive.

Fertilizers
Plants need numerous elements to grow. Generally, all but 3 of these elements exist in the air and the soil in quantities sufficient to sustain plant growth.

Greenhouse gardening
Give vegetable plants and early start in a greenhouse

Growing Vegetables
Instead of spending an ever increasing amount of the family budget on fruit and vegetables why not grow your own.

Growing Vegetables Indoors
Lack of space should not prevent you from growing your own vegetables

Raised Bed Gardening
For growing your own bountiful crop of healthy, robust plants and vegetables

Superfoods
Very few foods show such high levels of nutrients in such small quantities

Vegetable Seeds
If you've never started your vegetable garden from seed, you're in for a pleasant surprise. It's easy and a great joy to see new life spring forth from the seemingly lifeless soil.