#STOTW
Growing your own food is a great way to eat more local food, reduce your carbon footprint, and save some money. To create your own garden, you don’t even need a big yard! Small gardens can be creating in window boxes or small raised boxes on your lawn. Here are some quick tips on how to begin growing your own produce!
- Used raised beds. To make sure your produce doesn’t get contaminated by whatever could be in your soil, create raised beds and fill in with fresh soil and compost that you know is safe. Raised beds also prevent the destruction of your lawn and can be moved if small enough.
- Start slow and start small. If you are a beginner to gardening, it’s best off to start with just a few plants. With just a few plants, you can concentrate your time and energy on learning the best tips and tricks to making the best produce. As you gain more experience, you can add more plants.
- Grow seasonably. Growing fruit and vegetables that are currently in season for you geographical location is very important. When the plants are in season, they require less care, less water, and typically grow better- producing higher quality fruit and vegetables. Growing seasonably is the most sustainable way to garden!
- Start early in the Spring. Most fruit and veggies need to be planted right after the last frost, to ensure that they reach their peak in the summer months. Knowing when to plant certain plants is important so they can thrive in their natural climate. The earlier you start planting, the better your produce will do.
- Put up some kind of barrier against weeds. Weeding can be tedious and can even take over gardens. Installing a small barrier is a hassle-free way of preventing an abundance of weeds.
- Use enriched soil. When you fill in your raised garden beds, add compost and nutrient rich soil. The better your soil, the better your plants will grow.
- Have fun! Plant some nice flowers or some colorful vegetables. Get your whole family involved. Gardening is a great summer activity for people of all ages. Paint your raised box or add some lawn decorations for fun.
Photo source: www.pixaby.com
Written by Alyssa Lemire, Class of 2017
