Farmer Ferguson | March 1 2021 |
The time to start sprouting veggie seeds is quickly approaching!
Gardening is a great way to have organically grown food brought right to your table that benefits your finances, health and the environment.
While gardening can be low maintenance at times, it is very complex and requires in-depth research to fully understand the needs of individual plants, requirements for healthy crops, harvesting and maintenance. Below is information that scratches the surface of what you should probably know in advance of throwing seeds into the soil.
Let’s start with the basics:
To start a garden you need to consider how much space you have, the location of the space (shade, partial shade, full sun etc.), and the drainage of the garden location (you don't want to have soggy soil). The Farmer’s Almanac lists how much sun each plant needs along with their drainage requirements. If you are low on space and can't fit a whole garden in your back/front yard, no problem! Try vertical gardening or build raised beds!
Next are the plants! There are two choices you face when it comes to the actual plants: plant them as seeds or seedlings. Seeds are planted directly into your soil outside once it warms up while seedlings are started indoors and are transplanted into the soil after the last frost. Each plant is planted differently. For example, carrots, squash and potatoes are planted directly as seeds, lettuce and kale can go either way while tomatoes do well when they are sprouted inside first.
More things to consider:
Heirloom Seeds:
The best seeds to look for are heirloom while avoiding hybrid seeds. Heirloom seeds are seeds that have been grown before WW2. These seeds have been planted, harvested and re-planted over the years in the general same location allowing the seed to adapt to be better suited to the climate making it thrive here.
Local-ish Seed shops:
Kitchen Table Seed House, Wolfe Island
Bareroot Gardens, Verona
Mountain Grows
Planting by the moon:
Planting seeds by the moon’s cycle is actually beneficial for plant growth. It is said that the gravitational pull of the moon, as with tides in the oceans, affects the moisture in the soil. The increased moisture in the soil will help the seed germinate to grow more quickly and healthier. Find the moon cycle here.
Composting:
Composting is a great option to consider to reduce food waste and recycle it into a nutritious sludge for plants. Composted material contains nutrients and beneficial organisms that fertilize our plants! You don't need a fancy composter to start composting; dig a hole in the dirt, fill it with food scraps, cover it and let it decompose! Easy peasy.
Happy planting and goodluck!🌱
More great gardening resources can be found at:
Sources:
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