How to Plant A Garden

 

It is spring! The plants will start to sprout, and flowers will begin to bloom. It is time to start thinking about planting your garden! Gardens are an inexpensive way to have fresh produce for the summer and fall. This produce can be preserved through canning and freezing as well for even longer use. Typically, the Midwest tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, squash, and cabbage. These are easy to grow and are all capable of growing in the same garden. In a separate plot/ container is where you could grow your herbs or leaf lettuce varieties.

Where to begin

You can either start your garden from seeds or you can buy early, established sprouts of your chosen plants from a local nursery. There are different planting times for each option. For seedlings, the time to start your seeds is the end of March through the end of May. To make it easy, the seed pouches you can buy at stores have the dates that are best to be planted. If you are worried about the risk of frost, you can start your seedlings inside until they reach a desired size. When you buy an established plant, you can plant it at the later date of the season, late May to early June.

How to Plant the Seeds

Supplies you will need:  potting soil, a watering can or pitcher, pots for each seed with drainage holes in the bottom, and gloves (if desired). To start, you will fill the pots full of soil. Then, you will make a hole with you finger about 1-2 inches deep. Drop one see into the hole and recover with soil. Dampen with water. The soil will need to be dampened every day for the seeds to germinate. Germination period takes longer for some plants than others. You can see a sprout in as little as a few days from some seeds and others could take up to a couple weeks. To ensure good growth, place the pots in a window with a lot of sun. Once your seedlings reach about 8-14 inches, they are ready to be transplanted into your garden.

Care and Maintenance

To plant your established seedlings, you need a lot more space for them to grow. Their roots will be long and big when they are full adult plants so its necessary to enable room for adequate growth. In addition, plants of different varieties can grow in the same garden, but they need to be properly spaced away from one another. 2-3 feet is necessary for larger plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini. For smaller plants, such as peppers, a distance of about 1-2 feet is needed. This way there is no competition for nutrients and their roots have plenty of space to grow. Your garden in the spring will need watered about every other day. If it rains heavily, you will not have to water for 1-2 days after. When the soil looks dry, it is time to water them. since these plants are producing fruit that is very water concentrated, it requires a lot of water to grow. When you are watering your garden, saturate the soil. If your plants are in pots, water them until all the soil is wet to the touch. You will never over water your plants if you have adequate drainage for them. With full sun, good hydration, and proper nutrient rich soil your garden will be flourishing!

When to expect your first produce

-          Tomatoes: 2-3 months after planting

-          Cucumber: about 2 months after planting

-          Squash: 2 months after planting

-          Peppers: 1-2 months after planting

You can tell when vegetables are ready to be harvested if they are of good size and have a strong color. For green plants such as cucumber, you want them to be a bright green color and have no yellowing. This can cause a bitter taste. For tomatoes, they will turn red in color. You can pick tomatoes at an orange or pink hue and they will continue to ripen indoors. If you want your plants to continue to produce fruit, it is essential you regularly pick your ready vegetables! your plants can produce fruit for up to 3 months. With proper care, you will have an abundance of produce.

 

Try new plants

Gardening is an inexpensive way to try new foods. Even if you end up not liking the vegetable, you can give it to family, neighbors, or a local food bank. Gardening is a great activity for children to learn! Sustainability is an important practice and gardening is a great way to live sustainably!

 

Removing your garden

In the fall when it gets cold outside, it is important to take out your old plants. When they stop producing fruit and have began to decay, this is when you know they are done. Simply pull out the plant and roots you can reach. You can either dispose of them in your trash or begin a compost bin. Till the earth to mix up remaining roots and soil and allow the area to rest over winter. Come spring, you will churn the soil and start the whole process again!

-AC