Gardening is the practice of growing plants and cultivating them for their produce. Along with tools and hard work, gardening also involves love and care for the plants. Vegetable gardening or home gardening is a great way to save money while you get close and personal with nature. Moreover, the efforts made for gardening never go in vain. Growing your own vegetables makes us feel better. In cities, people can practice apartment gardening which helps them enjoy all benefits thereof. Urban areas are pillaged with pollution and dust which makes people sick. Gardening makes our homes fresh and keeps us healthy. The produce thus harvested saves us money and is completely organic. Home gardening helps us enjoy chemical free produce and keeps us healthy. Our homes or gardens look green which also improve our eye sight. Gardening is fun as we learn so much about plants as they grow. It provides us an opportunity to practically learn about seeds, soil, watering, plant nutrition etc. Gardening doesn’t always need a bigger area; we just need the right sunny spot and adequate amount of water. It can be done as a hobby which aides your income.
Benefits of gardening:
It keeps us fresh and stress-free.
It keeps our surrounding healthy.
We get close to the nature.
It keeps us away from adulterated foodstuff.
Extra veggies can be sold at a decent cost.
It makes you patient and calm.
Basics about gardening:
Choose a sunny location for your garden. Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Few veggies thrive in some shade. Hence plant your vegetables as per their sunlight requirement.
Avoid places that receive strong winds or exposed to traffic, plants thrive better in calm places.
Start from a small area and increase gradually as you learn.
Vegetable plants need adequate watering. Overwatering or less watering both should be avoided.
Use of high quality seeds will yield better results.
Seasonal plants should be studied and planted. It will reap better harvests with less labor.
Start from vegetables that take less time to grow.
Starting your home garden
Most of us are inclined to growth. Vegetable gardening is just an internal instinct. No time is better than now to start a vegetable garden. In case of a pandemic or war we can rely on our home garden for basic food necessities. Whenever there is a calamity or any emergency the food supply gets hampered badly. People have to compromise on bad quality and higher prices. Initially a home garden won’t provide much output or the harvest may seem too less initially. However the produce increases and the harvesting period reduce as a gardener gains experience. Nothing is as achievable as having fresh grown food on your table.
Any person with some old discarded containers or plastic bags can start with their gardens. Add some good quality compost soil to your containers or bags and sow seeds therein. Your bags or containers should have outlets in the bottom for excess water to drain. Good quality soil is very essential for better plant growth. Nutrient rich organic soil can be bought from your nearby nursery. Making your own soil will take some time and the results may not be as promising. Once the soil is acquired, plant better quality seeds of easily growing vegetables. The seeds will germinate faster and will be resistant to diseases or fungus. As the plants would grow, your organic soil will provide adequate nutrition and strength.
The seedlings need most attention and care. Handling them with care aides proper growth and immunity. Seedlings are tender and weak hence transplanting or touching them should be avoided. They will naturally bloom in presence of adequate sunlight and water. Once they have out grown the initial days then you can be sure of your growth. Just keep following the same schedule and pattern.
Watering your plants is very important however watering right is the key to a healthy garden. Watering should be done only when your plants need it. This can be determined by checking the top layer of your soil. If the soil seems dry then your plants need watering. The plants should be watered generously when required however flooding should be avoided. Excess watering may cause clogging and the roots may die eventually. Following a proper watering pattern and schedule provides better harvest.
Your plants may need some nutritional aid once they start blooming. Adding another dose of nutrient rich compost in small quantity is required. This will improve immunity and keep the plant strong while it produces. Adding too much compost or manure may cause damages. Increasing the dosage of compost gradually is the most efficient way. In certain cases if the growth of a plant is impressive then avoid extra nutrition or consider adding very little manure.
The growth of your plant and its harvest can be determined easily. The strength of your plant is directly related to its health. If the plant is strong it will surely produce better and healthier. The overall structure of the plant will convey its health. A strong stem, upright leaves and vibrant colors are sufficient to conclude that the plant is healthy.
If you have used the right soil, watered adequately, provided sunlight and manure while growing then your garden is sure to bloom. However all the above requirements are to be made available in their desired quantity. You will soon see the fruits and produce of your hard work. Harvest them while they are young, that’s when they taste the best.
Once the garden yield is all acquired then let the soil sit. Later add some compost and other nutrients to recharge it before you start your next plantation. It’s fun to sow water and watch your plants grow. Its refreshes and rejuvenates. It’s a hobby with handsome reward.
Gardening makes you a food lover
When you grow things yourself, you care for them, you hate wasting them ultimately you understand the importance of food. You start enjoying nutritious balanced food just because they are grown with all your efforts. Food wastage soon becomes a thing of past as the right value of food is inculcated in you. Gardening needs patience and perseverance. Growing your own food makes you disciplined and inculcates patience.
There is shortage of space in urban areas, having a vegetable garden seems like a dream. Most apartments have flowering plants in their balcony. People residing there may not be aware that few vegetables can be easily grown in those pots. Chilies, brinjal, beans etc grow easily in pots, as they don’t require much space or soil.
Lets know about vegetables which may produce fast:
Radish: It takes 4 weeks to grow.
Onion: It takes 20 to 30 days to grow.
Coriander: It takes 40-45 days to grow.
Spinach: It takes 50-55 days to grow.
Bitter-gourd: It takes 55-60 days to grow.
Cucumber: It takes 55-70 days to grow.
Potato: It takes 10 weeks to grow.
Tomato: It takes 60-80 days to grow.
Chilly: It takes 3-4 months to grow.
Garlic: It takes 90 days to grow.
Mint: It takes 90 days to grow.
Capsicum: It takes 110 days to grow.
Brinjal: It takes 3-4 days to grow.
START WITH A SMALL AREA
Always start small and grow gradually as you learn. It’s better to be thrilled about what you produce in your small garden instead of being frustrated by the time commitment the big one requires. You will get a feel of the entire process like planting, watering, weeding etc. Beginners should opt for an open space of 3 meters by 1 meter space. Select three different types of simple veggies to begin with. Allocate 1 meter by 1 meter space for each vegetable. Veggies like tomatoes, peppers and squash keep producing throughout their season. Planting few of these will provide ample produce. Few vegetables like carrots, radishes, corn etc can be harvested only once. On the other hand leafy vegetables take less time to grow. Plant them in a place where they can get required sunlight and air. Most people in cities stay in apartment. They can start their vegetable gardens in flower pots or balconies. As most vegetable plants have small roots they can grow in small spaces. You may plant veggies like tomato, brinjal and few others discussed above. In gardening experience beats all books and information however discussions and case studies help a lot. Interacting with local gardeners and growers provide invaluable resource on growing, caring and harvesting our produce. It also felicitates exchange of tools, seeds and soil. This way a community of gardeners is formed, they perform exchange and help towards a healthier greener world.
Being a gardener is immensely rewarding
A vegetable garden may it be in our backyard or farm or apartment, provides us an opportunity to interact deeply with nature. It refreshes us while we work our way from the seeds to fruits. The fragrance of flowers and garden soil helps relax deeply. The satisfaction and sense of achievement derived therefrom is the best. It helps us look broader and better.