vegetable gardening basics

Posted on | January 22, 2009 | No Comments

vegetable gardening basics

If you wish to set up your very own vegetable garden and have absolutely no idea on how to go about it, do not lose sleep over it! It is not at all complicated or hard for a novice to start a vegetable garden. It is far more easy to grow vegetables than flowers.
As a rule, vegetables need plenty of sunshine. Vegetables require a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine daily, so pick a location that gets plenty of sunlight. A few leafy vegetable such as spinach, lettuce, and endive require a little amount of shade in the daytime, but vegetables that grow roots such as beets, peppers, radishes, carrots, tomatoes and squash could do with ample sunshine. A further point to be noted when a beginner starts a vegetable garden, is to avoid low-lying areas where water is prone to stagnate after rainfall.
High-quality loamy soil, which is properly drained, is what you require. If the right soil is not present in your garden spot, you have the option of developing it with fine soil management. A number of books on starting a basic vegetable garden are available and can help you out on this or you can approach a garden outlet to seek guidance.
A garden located on a level ground calls for low maintenance, but in case you grow vegetable on an incline, lay down the rows along the incline, instead of above and below. This tends to check erosion and at the same time give plants the greatest amount of rainwater. Spreading mulch around plants will aid in collecting water and stopping erosion. In case the hill has a precipitous incline, you need to use wood or stones to terrace it.
An additional guideline for basic vegetable gardening is to ensure the garden is located close to a water source, even thought it is only a garden hosepipe. Vegetables contain up to 90% water, and hence soil moisture is very important for the crops to grow. A heavy spread of mulch will aid in keeping the garden soil damp, but nearly 25.4mm of water every week is required by the crops, by way of either irrigation or rainfall.
A final rule regarding basic vegetable gardening is that if you are residing on a huge estate or in the countryside, it is a great idea to locate the garden near the house. There are a number of explanations for this. It is far easier to provide proper care to the garden if it is located close by. Further, you do not have to go a long way to transport the crops to the house. When preparing a meal, you simply have to step outside to pick fresh produce from your garden. Closeness to the house would also deter marauding animals such as rabbits, possums, raccoons, and deer that feast on the vegetables in the garden. It is advisable to fence in the area.

About the Author:

Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some great Gardening Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 57 Pages Ebook, “Your Garden – Neighbor’s Envy, Owner’s Pride!” from his website http://www.Gardening-Master.com/762/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Vegetable Gardening For Beginners – Know The Basics

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Getting started in container gardening – NO vegetables or herbs!?

Can anyone give some basic pointers on designing and planting annuals or perennials for container gardening? I am not interested in growing vegetables or herbs, but am very intrigued by my new gardening hobby. I have almost no bed space to speak of, so I thought color containers would be a good way to go.

I use Moisture control Miracle grow potting mix. I put a coffee filter–or several, depending on the size of the pot–
on the bottom, then add packing peanuts (instead of rocks; makes the pots weigh less if I need to move them around)
to the bottom of the container. About a third to a half of the depth, depending on the size of the pot (12 inches or bigger
containers) Then fill with the potting mix, and add plants.
You need something tall for height, something mounding for
filler, and something trailing over the side for a good look.
I like garden “spikes” for height, and variegated periwinkle
for trailing. I’ve used coleus for color and sweet potato vine for trailing, too. Many things work well. I think Southern Living magazine had an article recently, so you could check them out on line. Or pallensmith.com. The only problem with containers is watering them daily; tough to do on vacation!

Good Luck!

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