Grow Your Own: Start your vegetable garden with just a few simple tips
It’s no secret that one of the most effective ways to eat healthier is to incorporate lots of vegetables into your diet. And there’s no more convenient source of garden-fresh vegetables than your own backyard.
Master Gardener Kinorea Tigri coordinates Pennsylvania’s statewide “Seed to Supper” program teaching new gardeners how to successfully grow a portion of their food on a limited budget. Here, she shares her expertise to help make your garden grow.
Sunlight
Vegetable plants need a minimum of 6-8 hours of sunshine daily. When sowing seeds, know the footprint and height of the mature plants. Plant the tallest plants, like corn, ideally on the north side of your garden. Sow remaining seeds in order according to their size at maturity. This ensures all plants will have good air circulation and plenty of sunlight.
Soil
Healthy plants require healthy soil, and testing is the only way to know if it’s in need of adjustments to improve its physical or chemical properties. Your local garden center can direct you to a testing resource. Most vegetables need a pH of 6.5-7 for maximum growth in soil composed of sand, silt and clay. Loamy soil helps plants get air and space for root growth and can be created by adding compost.
Fertilizer
All plants need fertilizing at times. Start by balancing the pH levels with aluminum sulfate or lime, based on soil test results. Vegetable plants require three main types of fertilizer, depending on the type of plant.
A general N-P-K fertilizer blend of all three simplifies feeding, except for tomatoes, which need a specific compound.
- Nitrogen (N) promotes growth, producing tall, bushy green leaves.
- Phosphorus (P) helps plants bloom and produce fruit.
- Potassium (K) supports strong root growth.
No-Fail Vegetables
These vegetables are the easiest to grow, but still require regular inspection for pests and diseases.
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Leafy greens
- Cucumbers
- Squashes
From garden to kitchen
When it comes to versatility, nothing beats herbs for enhancing the flavor of just about everything you prepare. They can be interplanted with vegetables, which is known as “companion planting” among your tomatoes, peppers and salad greens.
Great green goodness!
If you’re going to start by growing just three things that should be staples in your diet, begin with these: corn, beans and winter squash, often called “the three sisters.” They provide a great mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats, can be easily grown together, and can be stored well for long periods when harvested properly, making them a reliable food source throughout the year.