Thursday, September 25, 2008

Easy Vegetable Growing

By: Chris And Alison Clarke
Word Count: 1128


Vegetable growing is becoming more popular each and every year and if you have space in your garden its worth giving it a go.

Its not just about saving money, no, far from it.

Its knowing that your own home grown veg are grown naturally, it’s the sheer delight of having grown them yourself, it’s the unbelievable flavour of straight from the garden to the kitchen, to the table, its, well you could just keep going on and on.

But let's come back to reality.

Growing them does take time and effort, it all depends on what you grow.

Most of the effort is preparing the ground, but you can cheat hear a wee bit.

Make a raised bed, about 15cm (6inches) deep will do, but 23cm (9inches) is far better and worth the extra effort.

Don’t make the raised bed too wide. You need to be able to reach the middle from both sides without standing inside it. You do not want to stand on the soil and compact it.

Planned properly raised beds will give you years and years of easy veg growing and harvesting with no more digging, ever, just a top up of compost is all that’s needed.

Once the bed has been finished, the ground dug over and plenty of compost or well-rotted manure added it is so easy from there on in!

Vegetables are easy to grow, you just sow your seeds, plant your potatoes, cabbage seedlings and the rest of your favourites and watch them grow, then harvest and eat.

Well ok, that’s a bit simplified. But once the bed is built you do not have to dig it again.

Just top up with compost or well-rotted manure at the start of each season and it is ready for your next lot of crops.

Before you go ahead and start your veg plot give some thought to what you want to grow, how much time you have and what space is available in your garden.

Pushed for time? Then go for easy to grow, look after themselves vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, turnips, onions, beetroot.

Not much space, then just grow what you and your family really like. Even a small patch will produce a good crop of mouth wateringly fresh vegetables.

What's best and easiest to grow?

Give some of these easy veg a try



Runner bean

Broad bean

Onion

Beetroot

Lettuce

Carrot

Parsnip

Radish

Potato

You don’t have to grow all of them, pick the ones your family likes the most. They are all fairly easy to grow.

Get hold of a seed catalogue now, sit down with your family and decide what vegetables you want to grow.

Order the seeds in January, or at the latest very early February, so you can get a good early start in February and March.

That’s one of the secrets with growing vegetables, get them started early, and when the prices are high in the stores you are enjoying your own home grown at a fraction of the stores prices. You will undoubtedly save money.

(But you can sow later if you want to, just read the instructions on the seed packets. Vegetable seedlings you buy from garden centers, nurseries or gardening stores can be planted as late as may, some even later. Just follow the planting times and instructions on the labels. Potatoes are usually planted in April through to June).

Chris and Alison are experienced gardeners and specialize in plant propagation. For all the information you need on propagating and growing gardening plants successfully visit www.plants-free-for-life.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com