How to know what to grow

Saturday, February 21, 2015

So you are thinking of starting a garden but have no idea what to plant?  You should grow what you like to eat, but how do you figure out what that is and how much to plant?  I like this idea I ran across a couple of months ago-a two week journal!

Just keep a detailed log of what you eat for two weeks.  You can scale up the amount from 2 weeks to 52 weeks.

Then, think about what you like to eat in season, like fresh tomatoes, America’s favorite garden vegetable.  A single tomato plant will give you a large tomato about every 2 days.  A tomato plant for small tomatoes will give you a few daily.  Add these to the list.

Remember it is so easy to freeze things like tomatoes, peppers, fruit and greens so you can have fresh from the garden year round.

Now you are ready to figure out how many plants of each you need for your family.  You can go here to get the info:  Chart for how many to plant

Next step-go purchase your seeds or plants!  For your first garden, I would recommend buying plants as seed starting can be hit or miss for some in the beginning.  You can look on Craig’s list for those who grow plants all natural, organically or visit a local organic nursery.  The big box stores have a wide selection as well.

Nurseries can tell you the best time to plant what you are wanting to grow in your garden and give you information on how large the plant grows, and tips for growing them.  They can also recommend an all natural complete fertilizer to use.  The bag will tell you how much to add for each plant.

If you have the space, most herbs are perennials and all are easy to grow.  You can add your favorite herbs to your garden for cooking.  Plants give tons of leaves that are so easy to use fresh or dry in a paper bag for use later.

I plant my veggies and fruits in my flower garden bed.  It has been mulched for years so has lots of organic matter and rich soil.  The flowers attract pollinators that give higher yields and they look great together!

Another wonderful benefit to growing your own is getting the kids involved.  If the little one grows it, they will want to eat it.  A perfect remedy for the picker eater!