How to Grow Your Own Food: Resources for Beginners
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Photo by Skitterphoto
Gardening is a wonderful pastime and an enriching hobby. Growing your own food is a great way to save money, eat more vegetables, spend more time outside, and reduce your carbon footprint. The best part? Anyone can do it! There is something intuitive about gardening that lives inside all of us. Although you’ll learn the most by getting your hands dirty, a few basic tips and tricks never hurt anyone! Check out these tips from Reynolds Garden Shop to get your garden off to a great start.
Selecting a Site for Your Garden
Put some thought into the location you choose for your garden. Choose a site that gets plenty of sun—and make sure it doesn’t spill over onto your neighbor’s property!
Track the levels of sunlight in your yard and pick a site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun every day.
Call your local authorities so you can avoid hitting underground utility lines.
Choosing Crops
Get the most out of your garden by planting crops that are cost-effective and easy to grow. Most importantly, stick with vegetables you enjoy eating!
Start with vegetables that are generally easy to grow.
Plant vegetables that you and your family already like to eat.
Grow crops that are expensive to buy from the grocery store, like heirloom tomatoes and sweet bell peppers.
Competing with Weeds and Pests
Weeds, pests, and diseases are the bane of every gardener’s existence. Right from the start, look for ways to prevent these problems instead of fighting them all season long.
Reduce weeds by pulling them early, mulching your garden beds, and planting cover crops during the cooler months.
Look for natural ways to combat garden pests.
Tricks for Boosting Your Vegetable Yield
Over the years, you’ll discover strategies that maximize your yield. Here are a few simple tricks to help you get a bigger harvest.
Make the most of your garden space by planting leafy vegetables in shady areas.
Extend your growing season with cold frames and row covers.
Make it a Business
Many hobby farmers initially start with a simple vegetable garden that blossoms into a small enterprise. If your vegetable garden takes off, and if you have a knack for it, you may decide in time to start your own business.
Starting a business, even a small one, requires registering with the state, and you’ll be required to choose a business entity.
Marketing will also be crucial, though you can keep it small potatoes by designing your own website, using a free logo design tool to customize a logo and focusing on social media marketing.
Few hobbies are as fulfilling as growing a garden. While gardening takes some work, the payoff is well worth it when you see the fruits of your labor. Once you pluck a fresh tomato off the vine, pull a carrot out of the ground, or rip a few leaves of crisp lettuce for a summer salad, you’ll be hooked for life. And who knows? You may even find yourself making some money off your heartfelt efforts.