July 19, 2020,
Productive use of our time during sheltering in mandates should give a sense of purpose and hope since we sense that one day there will be a vaccine and life can resemble what previously seemed normal.
This would be a great time to begin projects that you always thought about and hoped to do when you had a full schedule, but put it off.
One of the projects you might consider is starting your first garden. Why?
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At least two major reasons.
The first is that it could be very therapeutic during stressful times of isolation.
In our circle we had a friend who cultivated and grew tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, with great results. The cucumbers turned out especially well, nice and crispy when thoroughly watered. Longer than the ones she saw in the supermarket too.
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The second factor is that it actually does cut down on your food budget, because when grown right, it will yield you a surprisingly large amount of produce.
There are many other positive factors as well, including that your garden vegetables will not be subjected to pesticides.
Are you sheltering in? If you ever wanted to feel empowered and grow your own food, this is probably a great time to do it.
We think we found a great expert.
We have a visiting female writer with extensive farming and gardening experience who can help get your started.
Best wishes.
Start Your First Garden, From The Ground Up
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The wave of getting back to nature and providing your own food for your family has taken on a tremendous amount of popularity. There are very good reasons why knowing what you are feeding your family is important due to the last few years of food contamination scares. Joining the home gardening craze really isn't crazy, it just makes sense. Even if you have limited space, you can grow vegetables for your family. But regardless of where or what size garden you plan on having, it all comes down to starting with a good base. This base should optimally face a north to south direction if possible.
First time gardeners have many different options for types of gardens they may choose to plan. All will have different appeals for different types of families. But all will have the deciding factors of how much if any land you have. Here are some different ideas for gardens that may fit into your family’s needs.
* Planter gardening
* Raised bed gardening
* Gardening on a larger scale
Planter Gardening
Planter gardening is a very popular form of gardening that many are opting for. They may choose this method due to the fact that they don't have any lawn space in their living environment. There are many different size planters out there that are available to fit your spacing needs. This method, ideally, will work for an apartment, or condo dweller that has a small deck or patio; but it can also be optimized for apartment dwellers that merely have large window space or even room to hang plants, in a southerly direction. The newer hanging vegetable gardens work well for the very small space requirements of a family also.
But planters will require attention to size of the plants that you're growing; as you will have to plan the planter to fit the plant or plants. Also, you will need to make sure that your planter has adequate drainage options available. Some planters even take the run-of-the-mill planters and add small rocks in the bottom to further encourage drainage.
Then simply add your store bought soil and fertilizers as recommended; add water and monitor for pest control and bon appetite.
Raised Bed Gardening
Raised bed gardening is another great way to garden for the family. There are some great plans for build-it-yourself beds that are quite simple and low cost. Keep in mind that you will also have to prep the surface that you are putting your raised bed upon. Some clear the sod away and add a layer of sand or fine rocks then their soil mixture. Others, simply clear away the sod lay a screen of weed block-this can be found at any of the gardening stores or hardware stores-and then add their soil mixture.
There are many advantages to a raised bed; some say less stain on the gardeners back, others simply more weed control. But still others have found that their raised beds allow for the addition of more gardening help equipment such as: poles for hanging screening, poles for hanging fencing for climbing plants, attachment of cold-frames-houses to protect tender plants from early springs sometimes cold temperatures-and some say they look tidier than plots.
Ideally, with soil, water and store-bought fertilizer (horse manure isn't recommended due to the seeds contained in it; which will grow grass in your box) as needed, along with any pest control you'll be harvesting before you know it.
Plot Gardening
Plot gardening can be done easily. The main thing to remember is to not get over zealous in your garden size design. A simple ten-by-ten garden can be more than big enough for the average family’s needs. Once you have decided on just the right spot for your garden, take four stakes and some string to make an outline of it. Then take a sharp-edged shovel and cut through the sod all the way around. A flat shovel will be helpful after the first edge of sod removal to finish up the process of removing the sod. There are even some machines out there that can be rented that quickly remove the sod. No matter how you do it the sod will have to go, though.
Then it's a matter of finding just the right soil fertilizer for you garden. The most widely used fertilizer is seasoned horse manure. Although, some may elect to add peat moss, and stronger manufactured fertilizers to their soil to give it the desired texture and richness it will need. If you are unsure of your soils needs take a soil sample and bring it to your local agricultural department as they can test it for you. Your local growers and hardware stores may be able to assist you in finding you just the right department in your area that tests soil.
Gardening is a great stress reliever along with allowing you to provide food for your family. Find more tips on gardening at LanDavi Farms http://www.landavifarms.webs.com. You can also find books, links and more tips on gardening at their sister site LOL Lane's Online Lawnsale http://www.lanesonlinelawnsale.webs.com
Learn from our experience gardening for our families and use it for your family.
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