Regardless of your vegetable gardening experience or level, you can definitely get started on it. The following is a guide on what to know about watering, exposing the plants to sunlight and practicing techniques in weed in yard removal, among other essentials. Here they are.
Beginner’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening
If you have little to zero knowledge about vegetable gardening, worry not, as help is coming. Check out the following things no one is telling you about vegetable gardening.
With or without full sun?
Sunlight levels matters for a healthy vegetable garden. In all cases, your garden won’t be able to thrive with no sunshine.
But remember, different vegetable crops also require different levels of exposure. That is one of the basics you have to know.
So, how much sun exposure is needed? Most vegetables will need at least six hours of sunlight exposure, but don’t worry if one or two of the plots are in a shady area if your vegetables are root and leaf vegetables, such as kale and carrots, because they can tolerate a little shade.
On the other hand, vegetables, such as squash and tomatoes, need full sun. If your location doesn’t permit it, you can grow in containers and place them in a sunny patio.
Reminders
- Leafy vegetables need at least four hours of sunlight. Some of them include collards and lettuce.
- Root crops, such as beets, require at least six hours of sun exposure.
- Fruiting vegetables, including peppers and tomatoes, need eight hours of full sun.
- Cauliflower, peas, Brussels sprouts and radishes, need three to six hours of sunlight.
Summing up, know the sunlight requirements for the crops you want to grow for them to thrive and produce more vegetables for you.
Containers for growing
Apart from sunlight requirements, you should choose the right containers and pots for growing vegetables.
For containers, you can decide between plant pots or seed trays. Seed trays, which are soil and space economical, are a common choice if you’re starting indoor vegetable plants.
Regarding the size of the container, you should pick those large enough to accommodate the crops you want to grow in them. Nevertheless, you should select pots that can match the vegetable root depth to the size of the container because these vegetables will grow soon and so the roots will require a deeper container.
Best watering time
What is the best time to water your vegetable garden? It is another common question that hobbyists and beginner-gardeners want to address.
- In the morning, you should do it early when it is still cool so that the water will have enough time to run down and reach the roots and will prevent much evaporation.
- If you’re unavailable in the morning, you can do it in the afternoon or early in the evening. When watering in the afternoon, make sure that there is still enough sunlight so that the plants can dry a bit before the night bites.
Weeding
It is the least popular job to do in a vegetable garden but one of the most important. One of the common methods of weed in yard removal is mulching.
It requires layering mulch in the vegetable garden to stifle or prevent the growth of weeds. However, this will just slow down its growth but will definitely not prevent it from spreading.
For other organic ways of controlling weeds, you can check out this source.
If you’re someone who doesn’t have much time to spare to be consistent in weed removal, you can instead get help from the pros that can devise a plan and execute it for proper weed control in your vegetable garden. With them, you can have peace of mind that weeds won’t choke your crops and steal nutrients from the soil.
Conclusion
Vegetable gardening is a great hobby to start with because it lets you grow crops right in your garden. It also offers a new learning experience, such as in areas like weed removal in garden, watering, sunlight exposure and choosing containers for vegetables. It also allows you to spend some time in the sunshine, enjoy the beauty of a thriving garden, and eat pesticide-free food.
So if you want a lovely vegetable garden, use the above tips and tricks that will help you get started today!
