Currently, more and more people decide to grow vegetables or herbs themselves. Thanks to this we know what goes on our plate. But how to get down to it?
Nowadays we can easily buy vegetables in every nearby store. It is known, however, that they are often not of good quality, grown in such a way as to grow quickly and have beautiful shapes. And to this often producers use chemicals that are not necessarily good for health. Therefore, more and more people want to make sure that the vegetables on their plate are fresh and healthy. So they decide to grow them in their home gardens. Easy to say, harder to do. How to get down to it?
How our garden will look like largely depends on the space we can allocate for it. So first we mark out a piece of land that needs to be dug – loosened. In case of a small garden you can do this manually. If the quality of the soil is poor it is worth buying a few bags of good soil in the store and add it – the soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0. Then our crops will be much better. Of course, our garden should be as far as possible from a busy road. The sun must reach it. Then the plants not only grow better, but are also tastier. Vegetables that are in the shade accumulate unfavorable nitrates and have less vitamins
The conditions in which our plants will grow are also crucial. Therefore, the principles of allelopathy should be taken into account. What is it about? Well, it is related to the substrate, and more precisely to the chemical substances secreted by it. This affects the plants, so you must remember that cucumbers should never be planted next to tomatoes and beets next to beans. Dill and potatoes, tomato and celery, leek and late carrot, onion and early carrot, cucumber and dill, pumpkin and beans, lettuce and radish, beans and peas or beets and onions are their allies. Such a neighborhood is perfectly conducive to their growth. It is therefore a good idea to familiarise yourself with these rules when you are planning your beds. This will make subsequent work much easier. Also remember that you cannot plant vegetables that belong to the same family or group, such as potatoes and tomatoes, right next to each other
Before you start sowing vegetables, it is necessary to mark out the beds properly. For what purpose? Well, the small grooves will collect water which the plants will take. Besides, thanks to this in our garden will be orderly and tidy – everything will be evenly seeded. You should also remember (this is a common mistake made by beginner gardeners) to prepare the passages between the beds. Thanks to this when weeding or pulling up the crops we will not trample our vegetables
It’s not enough to buy a few bags of vegetables, sow and wait for the harvest. You need to know that in early spring you can sow onions (already in March). However, if we plant spring onions, it is best to do it in April. This will allow us to enjoy fresh chives quite quickly. At the end of March and the beginning of April it is worth sowing carrots, parsley, lettuce, peas, broad beans and celery. Of course, radish is a vegetable that we sow several times a year, so you can enjoy it throughout the season. And all thanks to the short vegetative period. At the turn of April-May we plant cabbage, beets, broccoli and cauliflower, in May – dill, zucchini and pumpkin and in early June – beans
Vegetables should be watered regularly. If we are afraid of frost, we can cover the beds with a non-woven fabric bought in a gardening store, which will protect our crops from low temperatures.
