7 IMPORTANT GARDENING TIPS

Getting a healthy and productive garden will be both enjoyable and healthy. To achieve such a healthy garden, it is enough to follow a number of tips, of which we will explain below seven that we consider important.

 1. PLANT IN MODERATION.

It is important not to want to cover all vegetables from the start, as this will not be effective. It is important to start with a smaller variety and then gradually add other plants.

This way, you can control all the crops and get the maximum potential of each vegetable. In addition, it is essential that your garden gets at least 5 hours of sun per day to ensure that your crops are effective, because they will not have good development if they are not exposed to enough sun.

 2. HAVE QUALITY SOIL.

For a garden to have a good result, first of all you need the soil to be in good condition. For example, if the soil is very wet, the soil must be milled so that not so much water accumulates. On the contrary, if it is very dry, it will be milled to accumulate more water.

Secondly, it is also important to provide the right fertilizer and substrate. There are many ways to do this, such as organic fertilizer , which can be quickly and easily obtained at home.

Various residues such as guano , manure or compost can be used for this. The latter can be achieved with a mixture of wood, earthworms and other organic waste such as potato peels, lemon peels or crop residues.

Fertilizer is also a fundamental support for getting the soil your garden needs.

As your garden plants grow, you need to periodically fertilize the soil to keep them nourished. To do this, cover the compost fertilizer (about 5 centimeters ) with a standard 1:5 mixture , always depending on the climate, type of crop and other factors.

 3. HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS AT HAND

When we create a garden, there are a number of tools that are needed to make the activity easier. Here are some of those tools:

• a small shovel
• a small scarifier
• small hoe
• trash bag
• gardening gloves
• Motoazada
• Irrigation tools (watering gun, hose, etc.)

 4. PLANT ACCORDING TO THE CLIMATE OF YOUR AREA

To ensure the quality of your vegetables, climate is one of the most important factors in your garden. In fact, if crops are local, there will be less chance of disease or pest infestation.

It is important to know the right time and climate for each one, always taking into account which vegetables are typical for your area.

If the place where you live has high levels of contamination, it is ideal to plant those foods that are less susceptible to contamination (carrots, onions, garlic, beets, etc.).
If your climate is humid and cold, it is ideal to grow broccoli, cabbage or peas.
If your climate is dry and hot, you can grow tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, parsley or cucumbers. In this case always make sure that you have enough water and substrate.

 5. GIVE YOUR CROPS SPACE.

The garden is limited in size and vegetables need their own space. For this reason you have to keep in mind that you cannot have many crops, especially from the same family, because they will compete with each other for the same nutrients and we will not get a good harvest.

One possible solution is to combine crops by planting plants that complement each other so that they help each other grow and develop. Otherwise, there would be a chance that those vegetables that belong to the same family would compete and, as a result, not get a healthy and productive vegetable garden.

6. WATER AS NEEDED.

Other tips are just as important as knowing exactly how much and when to water your crops. The reason for this is simple: not watering enough is just as bad as watering more than necessary.

To avoid this, it’s best to use water responsibly . Am I eating? Grow plants together which need the same watering . That way you do not have plants that need water every day next to ones that need less.

In addition, it is always important to water at sunset so that the water does not evaporate into the sun and soak into the soil.

7. BEWARE OF PESTS OR DISEASES

Finally, when we grow vegetables or other plants we are always in danger of being infected by pests or diseases which weaken and damage our crops. And since prevention is better than cure, it is important to know how to anticipate them.

A very good option is to have plants that prevent pests and do not harm our crops. Also, insects such as ladybugs and bees are friends of plants, so they will benefit them.

Vegetables require the same care as ornamental plants , but in addition to being beautiful, they are eaten. sprawling That’s why urban potted gardens . There are many reasons to start growing vegetables at home:

In a garden, in addition to producing food, one seeks to regain contact with nature and to experience the satisfaction of harvesting and eating what one has cared for with one’s own hands. It allows one to have a small amount of fresh food, grown without pesticides and organically fertilized.

This activity is available to everyone, all you need is an open space where you can put some pots: you can use balconies, terraces, patios and even a window sill. Observing the circle of life calms the spirit, communicating with nature relaxes you and helps you see problems for what they are worth.

This activity is suitable for people of all ages. The garden is a game for children: they love to get their hands in the ground, water the plants, pick the fruit and, of course, eat them. They learn about good eating habits and that fruits and vegetables are not born on supermarket shelves, but need care to grow them. If they are responsible for watering the garden, they will learn to be responsible and take pride in cooperating.

What does it take to start a garden at home? What is the best thing to plant in pots? How to cultivate to get good results? We’ll explain it to you below.

Pots and planters for growing vegetables at home

Pots should be as large as possible, although some vegetables, such as lettuce or onions, can grow well in small pots if they lack water.

As a general rule, you should look for containers 20 to 40 cm deep so that the roots can develop well.

You get the best results with larger pots or planters because they keep the humidity more constant and tend to overheat the roots less.

White pots are ideal for summer because they keep the roots cool while black pots, which absorb the sun’s heat, are more suitable for the colder months.

With a bit of imagination, you can recycle lots of containers to use as flowerpots: water jugs, old bathtubs, plastic-coated cloth bags from the supermarket… All you need to do is make a few holes in the bottom to facilitate drainage.

Pots should be filled with fertile soil; Usually use mixtures of peat or coconut fiber with fertilizers such as manure, earthworm humus or bird droppings . These substrate mixtures are particularly suitable for growing in containers because they are nutrient-rich and have a high water-holding capacity, which reduces the need for watering and ensures that the vegetables get all the nutrients they need.

Containers and growing tables

Growing tables allow you to plant a variety of vegetables in a small space. even the elderly or people with disabilities. They can work on them.

These tables are filled with a very nutritious mix of substrates, usually consisting of coconut fiber and biohumus (humus that worms produce when they digest organic matter and one of the most complete environmental fertilizers).

The three ingredients for a successful urban garden

The secret to achieving rapid growth is that plants lack any of the three elements they need: water, light and nutrients.

Sun

This is the basic element, without it there is no growth. In general, a southern orientation is preferable, because the more sun hours per day on the terrace, the better the plants will grow. Fruits, especially tomatoes and peppers, produce very little unless they have plenty of insolation.

But if the balcony faces north, don’t get upset either . Although they grow slower, vegetables can also be grown. Vegetables that survive best on patios with a few hours of sunlight are usually leafy and root vegetables: spinach, celery, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, turnips, leeks, radishes, chard, escarole, beans, peas, strawberries and many others . aromatics such as parsley, coriander , mint, basil and oregano .

Irrigation

This is a basic care that the garden needs, especially when the plants are grown in pots where the amount of available moisture is much lower than in the ground.

In spring and autumn, if it does not rain, the plants should be watered every two or three days, but in summer they should be watered daily.

It is a good idea to install a drip irrigation system and connect it to the tap with a programmer that turns on the water every day for a period of time. The plants get what they need on a regular basis, water is saved, and freedom is gained.

Fertilizer

There is very little soil in the pot, and unless we have prepared an extremely nutrient-rich substrate, we will probably need to add some fertilizer during the growing cycle.

Solid organic fertilizers such as manure, guano, compost or earthworm humus are usually mixed into the substrate when the pots are filled. If you need to add more during growth, they are simply spread on the ground, and irrigation water will take care of getting the nutrients to the roots.

Liquid fertilizers dissolve in irrigation water, and their effect is faster, though shorter.

Healthy, well-fed plants have dark green leaves, but if they lack nutrients the green color will turn lighter and may even turn yellow over a long period of time.

Keep an eye on the color of the plants and increase the frequency of fertilization if the leaves lighten too much.

Which is better, seeds or seedlings?

Today, with the proliferation of urban gardens, most garden stores sell vegetable seedlings, which avoids sowing seeds. Seedlings are bought ready to transplant and start growing, which shortens the process by a month or two.

However, there are some vegetables that are still sown from seed: carrots, radishes, turnips, sunflowers, beets … Of course, if you want to grow an unusual variety, you will have to resort to seeds, as seed sellers usually have only the most common ones.

What to plant in the urban vegetable garden: the easiest vegetables to harvest

1. Radishes are harvested as early as a month after planting . Because of their small size, they can be grown along with slow-growing vegetables such as carrots or tomatoes, as they will be harvested before space is needed.
2. Lettuces grow quickly if the weather is good, and they are harvested in one to two months after the seedlings are sown.
3. Rucola is another fast-growing plant, and its nutty flavor, much more noticeable when freshly picked, adds a special touch to any dish. Scattered over freshly baked pizza, it is simply spectacular.
4. Carrots are grown from seed , simply spread over moist soil and lightly covered. They need little fertilizer, and they use nutrients that may be left over from harvesting another vegetable.
5. Potatoes can be sown in pots, although it is not easy to achieve a good harvest because it is a crop with very high nutrient requirements: the substrate must contain at least one third of manure or earthworm humus. In any case, they are very easy to grow from any sprouted potatoes.
6. Tomatoes. Few vegetables taste as good as freshly picked ripe tomatoes. For many flower growers, harvesting tomatoes is their greatest desire. They are not the easiest vegetable to grow and usually need a preventive treatment against fungi , especially powdery mildew and powdery mildew.

• The most common environmental treatment is to spray plants with copper sulfate, a natural copper and sulfur-based fungicide that prevents both types of fungi from attacking. Peppers, eggplants, potatoes and zucchini also benefit from sulfur and copper.
• Some curly vegetables, such as cucumbers, beans or peas, need supports. Tomatoes, too, although they need to be tied to stakes because they don’t get tangled on their own.
• One of the most Zucchini popular vegetables if it has a large pot. When it grows in fertile and abundant soil, it can produce zucchini every two or three days throughout the summer.
• Sunflowers are easy to grow, and children love toasted seeds.