by: Dahlia Rose
As the first day of summer approaches, many Mooseville residents are already enjoying their own homegrown fruits and veggies. If you didn’t get your garden started just yet,
don’t fret! There is still plenty of summer left to grow your own savory treats, right in your own backyard or on your balcony or patio. With a little know-how, determination, and patience, anything is possible! Here are some helpful tips to remember when growing your own vegetable garden:
As the first day of summer approaches, many Mooseville residents are already enjoying their own homegrown fruits and veggies. If you didn’t get your garden started just yet,
don’t fret! There is still plenty of summer left to grow your own savory treats, right in your own backyard or on your balcony or patio. With a little know-how, determination, and patience, anything is possible! Here are some helpful tips to remember when growing your own vegetable garden:
- Research the kind of vegetables you’d like to plant before you buy seedlings and spend time planting them! Growing broccoli in the hot summer or trying to start tomatoes in the late, cool fall will only bring you disappointment. A gardening book versus online resources is recommended because of its portability. The Southern Living Gardening Book is a great resource, especially for Mooseville residents. While you’re waiting for your book to arrive, check out www.garden.org for lots of great tips and a helpful “plant guide”.
- Most vegetables like full-sun and need at least 6 hours of sunlight to produce the best crop. Make sure you position your plants in a spot that gets plenty of sun.
- If yard space is limited, you don’t want to dig a garden, or you live in a place without a yard, consider planting your veggies in pots. Many plants do quite well in pots. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and almost any herb can produce enough to keep you well stocked all summer long!
- During the hottest part of the summer, most vegetables need a good watering once a day. If you are going on vacation or will not be able to water daily, set up a simple automatic irrigation system by investing in a water-timer. Voila! Watering done!
- Keep pests off of your crops by using a variety of low-cost, homemade “pesticides”. A mix of soap and water rids plants of many insects, as do common products such as chili pepper, tobacco, and garlic. Visit www.worldagroforestrycentre.org for more tips and tricks on controlling pests organically.
- Most importantly, after all of your hard work to grow your own food, gather your loved ones around the table to share with you the fruits of your labor. Truly, nothing tastes better than a fresh, homegrown tomato on a summer evening – especially when you grow it yourself.
