All of us love eating fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables. The Best way to do that is by having your own vegetable garden. Follow these steps to get maximum yield
Choose a proper area
While choosing a garden site, go for an area where your plants can get enough exposure to sun rays. If you live in an apartment, opt for the balcony. Choose soil with humus with good drainage that will hold moisture during the hot months. Make sure that the water outlet is somewhere close to the area you have chosen. If the area is windy, consider building a fence or planting shrubs as a windbreak.
Soil Preparation
Soil preparation is the most important part of the process of having a flourishing vegetable garden. The soil you choose should be fertile, well drained yet should retain moisture and get enough air circulation essential for healthy roots. Start with soil testing as it will tell you how much nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium you have in your soil and what the pH (a measure of acidity and alkalinity) is. You can make changes in the soil to suit your requirement.
Keeping track of plants’ growth
Take time to walk through your garden and observe your plants. Look for signs of garden insects or other pests that can cause damage. Your plants would also need regular watering, weeding, proper fertilisation, and plant protection.
Harvesting vegetable
It is now time to relish the fruits and vegetables you have grown in your garden. Keep observing your plants to understand when they are ready for harvest. If you pick too early the vegetables may lack in size, flavour or sweetness; if harvested too late they lose flavour and can be tough or mushy.
You could also have more yield than you can use that you can either store or give away.
Design a layout
Once you fix a site, next step is to plan a garden layout. This has to be done before you start working on the soil, buying seeds or plants. You can do it on a paper keeping in mind the area you chose. If you are looking for some readymade layouts, you can refer to the internet. You will find easy to follow diagrams on where and when to plant a vegetable garden for raised beds, row gardening and square foot gardens.
Selecting Seeds
First, assess how many seeds would you need based on your vegetable garden layout. Then choose varieties that will grow best in your conditions. This can be done in early spring to assure you get the varieties you want. Start planting your seeds once your soil preparation is complete. Make sure you plant your seeds when the season is right.