Starting your garden off!
Many people think that you need a large amount of space to have a garden, but in fact you only need 10 to 12 square feet to create a gardening bed. It is a good idea to start small in the beginning to get the hang of it, before starting too much at once. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight in order to be healthy, but vegetables like lettuce and radishes can get by with less direct sunlight.
The key to having a successful garden is having nutritious soil, composting and putting that soil in your garden makes it extremely nutritious and helps to create healthy crop. Soil that is crumbly helps growth because water can be drained as needed, while providing enough water and air for the vegetables. Make sure that you are planting the vegetables at the right time of year. Many people are not aware that the soil temperature is extremely important because if it drops to 39 degrees Fahrenheit the crop will not germinate. Also, many crops will not grow if they have been even lightly frosted so always be ready!
Your garden wants mulch just as much as your other plants so do not forget to do this! Mulch can help keep the soils nutrients well balanced, moisture in and other weeds or previous plants out. Weeds are common so make sure to keep your garden free of these pests as well as the many other pests that nature has such as raccoons, deer or insects. Keep an eye out for all of these things and ask around to your neighbors to see what pests they have encountered and if they have any advice.
One important thing is to stay on top of picking your new crop so that it doesn't fall to the ground and get wasted and so more can keep growing. The plant will try and keep the vegetables on for as long as possible, taking away from the energy to make more of that vegetable. Enjoy your fresh vegetable and wash before eating!
http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/top-10-rules-for-growing-vegetables-and-fruits/pictures/index.html
The key to having a successful garden is having nutritious soil, composting and putting that soil in your garden makes it extremely nutritious and helps to create healthy crop. Soil that is crumbly helps growth because water can be drained as needed, while providing enough water and air for the vegetables. Make sure that you are planting the vegetables at the right time of year. Many people are not aware that the soil temperature is extremely important because if it drops to 39 degrees Fahrenheit the crop will not germinate. Also, many crops will not grow if they have been even lightly frosted so always be ready!
Your garden wants mulch just as much as your other plants so do not forget to do this! Mulch can help keep the soils nutrients well balanced, moisture in and other weeds or previous plants out. Weeds are common so make sure to keep your garden free of these pests as well as the many other pests that nature has such as raccoons, deer or insects. Keep an eye out for all of these things and ask around to your neighbors to see what pests they have encountered and if they have any advice.
One important thing is to stay on top of picking your new crop so that it doesn't fall to the ground and get wasted and so more can keep growing. The plant will try and keep the vegetables on for as long as possible, taking away from the energy to make more of that vegetable. Enjoy your fresh vegetable and wash before eating!
http://www.hgtv.com/gardening/top-10-rules-for-growing-vegetables-and-fruits/pictures/index.html
Tips to freshen your soil-
Plants need proper nutrients to stay alive and grow into their full potential, therefore the soil that the plant lives in is important. Organic matter in soil is what feeds your plants and provides them the proper nutrients to grow. Some ways to create a healthier soil are composting, mulching, green manure, fertilizer and knowing what kind of pH within soil that your plants like.
Composting: Putting composted soil into your current soil will provide nutrients, improve the soil structure, increase the ability of that soil to hold water and nutrients while aerating it. You can create composted soil by getting a bin that will be high and large enough to hold what you want to be composted while maintaining a level of heat so that no weeds grow. You can compost things from egg shells, to left over vegetables to leaves, grass and other organic matter. Putting it all within a bin will cause it to decompose, leaving you with great soil.
Mulching: Mulching is when you put mulch, leaves, straw, or chopped grass and leaves around your plants in order to keep provide some nutrients for those plants. Doing this will also keep out weeds and other pests while keeping your garden well soiled.
Green Manure: Green manure is grown to better the fertility of soil by preventing erosion, keeping leaves away and improving the structure of the soil. Certain grains such as oats, peas, beans and clover are common in green manure.
Fertilizer: During the first few years starting your garden you might need to get fertilizer so that your soil will have the nutrients needed for good growth.
Composting: Putting composted soil into your current soil will provide nutrients, improve the soil structure, increase the ability of that soil to hold water and nutrients while aerating it. You can create composted soil by getting a bin that will be high and large enough to hold what you want to be composted while maintaining a level of heat so that no weeds grow. You can compost things from egg shells, to left over vegetables to leaves, grass and other organic matter. Putting it all within a bin will cause it to decompose, leaving you with great soil.
Mulching: Mulching is when you put mulch, leaves, straw, or chopped grass and leaves around your plants in order to keep provide some nutrients for those plants. Doing this will also keep out weeds and other pests while keeping your garden well soiled.
Green Manure: Green manure is grown to better the fertility of soil by preventing erosion, keeping leaves away and improving the structure of the soil. Certain grains such as oats, peas, beans and clover are common in green manure.
Fertilizer: During the first few years starting your garden you might need to get fertilizer so that your soil will have the nutrients needed for good growth.