Edible gardening basics

Spring edibles in flower bed

Saturday, November 21, 2020

If you are thinking of putting in a vegetable garden next spring, here are a few basics to keep in mind as you start your planning.  

Edible garden basics:

1. Your zone.  The globe is divided into growing zones.  These growing zones determine what plants can survive year round in your area and length of the gardening season.  Different types of plants thrive in either cool or very warm temperatures and take varying amounts of time to be ready to harvest.
2. Frost dates.  Even in the same growing zone, you can have different frost dates for spring and fall.  Seed packets will tell you how soon before/after your frost date to start your seeds indoors and outdoors and how many days until harvest from planting date.  Different vegetables seeds germinate at different temperatures.  Ideal soil temperatures for starting your seeds
3. Location.  The amount of sun that you put your garden in is of critical importance.  Almost all vegetables like to be in full sun for most of the day (at least 6 hours of full sun).  If you have a lot of shade, there are some vegetables that you can grow. Edible shade gardens shine in summer   Don't forget the sunny spots on your patio or deck.  Nowadays you can grow just about any type of vegetable in a pot!  Decorative container gardening for edibles
4. Size of garden.  The size of your garden will determine what you can grow.  Different vegetables give more food per square foot than others.  You can grow a lot in a small space if you chose the right vegetables to grow.  Just a 6' x 6' space will keep you in fresh produce all season long.  I started by just tucking in edibles in my flower beds to see what grew well and we liked to eat.  Small space French kitchen garden  You can garden year round in small space  The biggest mistake first time gardeners make is putting in too large of a garden.  Start small and add on as you gain confidence.  
5. What to grow.  Be sure to grow what you like to eat and what will grow well in your zone and garden location.  This winter, keep a log of what produce you are buying at the store.  This will give a good idea of what would be a hit to put in your new garden.  Use this winter to figure out what to grow in the ...
6. How much to grow.  Start small!  It is easy to get excited about all the wonderful vegetable plants and seeds you can buy these days.  Resist the urge to go crazy!  Here is a basic first garden plan.  What to plant for your first garden
7. Soil and fertilizing.  Garden bed prep is important.  You can use the fall to get your garden bed ready for planting in the spring.  The best soil has lots of organic matter and a balance of minerals.  Here are some ways to put in a garden bed if you are not going to just use your existing flower beds or pots.  Put in a new garden bed the easy way-really