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10 Simple Tips to Grow a Successful Vegetable Garden

Thinking of growing a vegetable garden? Great! There are many benefits to grow a successful vegetable garden for your own consumption.

These include:

  • It helps you eat more fresh fruits and vegetables – as they are readily available
  • You decide what kinds of fertilizers and pesticides come in contact with your food – want organic? No problem!
  • It lets you control when to harvest your food. Vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients than some store-bought vegetables that must be picked early
successful vegetable garden

First off here are a few things you need to start your first vegetable garden –  

Space! You need a place to put your garden. This can be anywhere that gets some sun. The amount of sun you need depends on your vegetables. The fastest-growing vegetables need full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day) without blockage from trees, shrubs, or fences. You won’t have much luck growing these vegetables in the shade. However, there are some vegetables that do well in partial shade/partial sun. Do your research prior to deciding on your vegetable garden location.

Plants (obviously!) – You can try your luck at starting your vegetables from seed or you can purchase plants that have already started growing at your local garden center.

Water – Plants need water, so you will need a water source. A hose, a jug, a watering can filled in the sink – any of these will work! You just have to be consistent. Watering is very important and improper watering can be the difference between a good garden and a not-so-good garden.

Healthy Soil – This is the foundation of your plants, so better make it good. If you are growing in pots, then consider choosing a good quality, organic potting or garden soil. If your garden will be in your yard, try adding in some compost or manure.

Growing your own vegetables successfully is a constant process of learning which techniques work best for you and your plants. Advice from other gardeners can help provide shortcuts to achieving success in your garden.

10 Simple Tips to Grow a Successful Vegetable Garden

  1. Turn a long-handled tool into a measuring stick – handy when planting your vegetables in the garden
  2. Reuse old plastic labels by rubbing with sandpaper – getting a few extra years out of them
  3. Use a terracotta pot to cover your seedlings to protect from frost
  4. Wrap a wide strip of tape, sticky side out, on your hands to get aphids off plants – focus on the undersides of leaves where they like to hide
  5. Make water reservoirs out of plastic water bottles to hydrant thirsty plants in hot or sunny areas
  6. Reduce your water bill by reusing water from your kitchen
  7. Remove hard seed coating by soaking the seeds in lukewarm water overnight
  8. Make your own pea and bean planters using cardboard tubes – to protect the roots
  9. Go vertical with your garden if your space is limited – make vertical planters for walls or fences using piping
  10. Use garden planning software to help plan what you’re going to grow and where

In this video you can see a more in depth description of the steps above, providing useful tips collected from experienced gardeners which save time, keep your plants safe and happy, and reduce costs – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u31l960Ggx0

Vegetable Garden Planning Tools

Take a look at some of these online planners to help you map out your garden and how to care for your new vegetables:

No Space? Too Many Critters? Wrong Season?

Is space, seasons or critters preventing your from growing the garden of your dreams? Grow your fruits, herbs, vegetables and flowers inside your home – all year round – with a Danby Fresh!

The Danby Fresh creates a regulated environment for plants to grow, providing the correct amount of humidity, light, temperature and fresh air. It essentially looks like a wine cooler or small refrigerator, allowing it to seamlessly fit into your home décor, but acts like a mini greenhouse. The Danby Fresh uses one of the best and most efficient LED grow lights available, powered by BloomBoss, so you won’t need to worry about high energy bills.

danby fresh product

Learn more about Danby Fresh here.

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