Do you love eating fresh vegetables? Are you the type who always wants fresh greens on your table? Do you long for the taste of real vine ripened tomatoes? Or is cooking with spices and herbs your passion? If you answered yes to these questions, then it is time to consider a kitchen garden of your own!
As a lot of us would see it, gardening seems to be a tedious task, not knowing that there are alternatives available that would allow us to have a low maintenance garden that will not only bring us organic produce but also help us save money.
A worry-free garden is what we all need. So, here are 7 tips on how you could start your own self-sufficient and sustainable garden:
Know Your Location. Determining your garden’s location is fundamental. Creating the perfect environment for your plants will greatly affect their ability to thrive. You must find a site that has sunlight for at least 5 hours a day. Learning and implementing the fundamentals of companion planting will astound you, not only save energy nursing your garden, but you will also allow the plants to have the nourishment they need.
Know Your Soil. The 3 main soil types are clay, sand and loam, but in reality most soils are a combination of all of these. If your soil is clay add gypsum, sand and plenty of organic matter, dig it in well. If your soil is sand, add clay and plenty of organic matter and dig. If you have loam which is friable add organic matter. Do a ph test, some plants like acidic soil, some like alkaline, most like it somewhere in the middle. But you must know what the soil is to start with, before you can choose plants or make ph changes.
Identify Your Plants. Planning what plants to sow in your garden is vital and since low maintenance is our objective, then choosing perennial vegetation is the best. Perennial plants are plants lasting for three seasons or more. In this way, you won’t need to replant often as these plants continue to fruit and provide food for years.
Do Your Homework. Once you’ve identified your plants, exert a little more effort on knowing your planned vegetation design, you don’t want a jumbled mess with plants competing for light and space.
Researching plants that would grow best in your area, Know which type of vegetation is appropriate to your growing zone and climate. You will also want to consider the water requirement of each plant you would want to grow. In this manner, you won’t make the mistake of planting a drought-tolerant plant beside a plant requiring heaps of water eg: don’t plant cactus next to land cress or mint. Not only water requirements, but should keep in mind ph requirements of each plant eg. strawberries love acid but most vegies don’t.
Prepare Your Mulch. Mulch helps reduce evaporation and erosion. It acts as a protective cover that will help enrich the soil. By covering your garden in mulch, you will definitely save fertilizing and tending your garden. Mulch keeps those pesky weeds at bay, mulch is the gardener’s best friend.
Don’t Skimp On The Watering System. A good well planned watering system will save you hours in the garden. The days of bucketing water from the well for most of us are over, today’s watering systems are a thing to behold – if you have the money everything can be automated. A good watering system will give you more time to plant, tend and harvest all those goodies you’ve grown or to just to relax and enjoy them.
What Are The Alternatives. Aside from the customary garden, researchers have developed no-dig gardens that are easy to build anywhere. This type of garden uses layered organic materials that mimic a rich soil for your plants. Another alternative would be a permaculture no-dig garden which incorporates insects—both pest and predator, in the created environment. Because of this, there will be no need to adding pesticides in your garden..
Once you’ve started your garden, you can always have fresh greens on your dinner table or the herbs in your dishes that are definitely organically produced and full of flavor. You have even saved money without breaking your back. So, what are you waiting for? Grab those gardening tools and start your own beautiful, productive and enjoyable garden right away.
happy gardening