In the spring of 2010, I decided to start my own vegetable patch. I've only rarely planted in the ground before; all my gardening up till this point has been container gardening. I decided I wanted to save some money (in the long run) by planting my own vegetables. Considering what I spent on dirt, the financial rewards of this project will have to wait a couple of seasons to see any real return. Still. I learned a lot from this project, and I decided to start a section of the site for beginner gardeners. First, I should point out that gardening is hard, in the sense that it requires constant maintenance. You can't skip a few days on it like you can with, say, knitting or working on something on the computer. Plants require watering, weeding, and possibly pesticides. Despite your best efforts, some will probably still die, even the ones that are supposed to be hard to kill. Like any other living thing, they can get sick, and they will all eventually die. But if you invest time and resources, they will probably do just fine. In other words, if you aren't willing to take the time to get outside and water the plants and weed them, you shouldn't bother. That, in fact, was another reason I wanted to start a vegetable patch; I wanted to do something outside. Having got that out of the way . . . Before you ever start digging your vegetable patch, think carefully about what you want to plant. Don't just buy a lot of seeds that look good. Consider the foods you like, whether they will do well in your climate, and what you will do with the surplus. Luckily, I work with a large group of guys, so it's not hard to unload surplus food. But don't plant onions just because they're easy to grow if you can't stand them. Also think carefully about how much time you really have to invest in a vegetable patch. Some plants will do fine with water and sunlight, but others require feeding, pruning, etc. Stay away from the latter if you are pressed for time. The above was, of course, preliminary stuff. Below is a link to a page of tips I wish I had known before I started my vegetable patch. |