Usually, there’s a great joy to gardening, and for most people who engage in it as a leisure activity, that is the driving force. But have you considered planning for an edible garden and not the usual ornamental types? In the last few years, food gardening has made a huge comeback and explains why 1 in 3 households in America are involved in it. Not only does it beautify your landscape, but it also gives you and your household a tasty harvest.
Now the big question is, do you know how to kick-start ‘edible gardening’? This article will give you an idea of what to do.
1. Find the right location
Settling on the right spot for an edible garden must be a prime concern for you. Your guiding point must be choosing an area that gets a lot of sunshine and loamy soil. Finding a suitable location around the home also means deciding on the size of the plot you’re using. For many households who start this for the first time, the best option is to start small until you get the hang of things.
Nonetheless, if you’re planning for a one-sided garden, the generally recommended advice is to use a planting area depth of three feet. This measurement is the median adult reach, which prevents you from stepping on the soil when it’s harvesting season. A two-sided garden plot should only be considered when there is enough available space to work with.
2. Get the right kind of soil
Since you’re planning your edible garden around the home, taking a walk around your property will be very helpful. Take note of how water runs through your home or, better yet, where it settles. For the sake of your edible garden and plant health, it’s advisable to find a spot that’s level. Despite being a level spot, it still must allow water to drain naturally without pooling in the area you designated for your food garden.
Another way to assess your soil is to observe how it appears or retains water after it rains. Good soil should be able to retain the right amount of moisture without pooling at its base. Besides soil porosity, supplement your soil with compost to enhance its potency, improve PH levels, and provide the ideal place for useful microorganisms. Perhaps, you should consider using homemade compost. If you cannot do this, you’ll still find commercial options beneficial for the needed purpose. The right kind of soil will save you money as you tend to your edible garden in the long run.
3. Use raised beds
Call it a raised bed revolution, and you’ll not be far from the truth. Gardeners are beginning to understand the enormous benefits of gardening in raised beds, which most likely fuelled the increase in growing food using this method. As a booster, Tracy Nolan, the author of Raised Bed Revolution, powered the interest for it in her book. During the spring, raised beds warm up quicker, drain better, tolerate an extended growing season, and enhance better-growing conditions for fruits especially.
For example, because it takes time to grow a pineapple, raised beds are the best option for the edible garden. Pineapples grow best in aerated, well-drained soils, and you cannot go wrong using raised beds for them. Furthermore, during the winter, you can easily use a hoop cover to protect your raised beds from frost.
Do you see how easy planning for an edible garden can be? All you need is the commitment to follow through with the essential requirements. Now’s the time to begin putting down your game plan for the planting season. What could be better than getting healthy foods from tiny seeds planted in your own backyard? That’s a money saver, you know!
