Planting a garden is a dream for many of us. If one has some space or a backyard of the house, then it becomes very easy to plant and grow veggies. Planting vegetables can be very useful as they can be utilized in the cooking and can be sold or shared with others. Vegetable doesn’t require any special care that some plants do, but they should not be completely neglected. There are a few basic things that should be done to take care of these vegetables.
- Watering the garden regularly is equally important as the sunlight. Regular watering is needed to grow healthy vegetable plants. In summer season, the amount and frequency of water should be increased. Vegetables will crack open or will plump abnormally or if they don’t get enough water. If the garden area is too big, fix a drip water system that will water the plants regularly. If the garden is not very big, someone from the family can take out some time to water the plants. Ideally the water that should be given to the vegetable plants is two inches per week.
- Feeding the plants is very important as vegetable plants are heavy feeders. Nowadays the soil is tested before planting. Furthermore, there are some organic supplements that are mixed with the soil before the vegetable are planted. Nowadays the supplements that dissolve with water are used and they are used after the garden is watered.
- Mulching should be done for healthy growth of vegetables. It helps in cooling the roots and conserves the water for the plants.
- Weeding process is very common in the vegetable garden. Weeds normally compete with plants and consume their share of feed and water. But the vegetable will always have an advantage as they are planted when the soil has no weeds. Empty weeds should be removed before the vegetables are planted. Even after the vegetables are planted, the weeds should be removed regularly. Mulching should be done regularly between the pathways to avoid and protect plants from weeding.
- Some plants need a support to grow. Climbers like tomatoes and beans may require support and it should be installed as soon as the vegetables are planted. Winning plants grow on their own when support is provided or tied but the staked plants needs their main stem tied and provided support so that they can grow.
- Prevention of pests is essential to avoid diseases in the vegetables. The gardener has to inspect and monitor the entire garden once a week to examine any diseases in the vegetables. Some of these pests can be removed by hand and some need the insecticidal soap to remove them. The soap is easy to use and should be sprayed on the vegetable which is infected. Pesticides for vegetables are different as they are for the edible things and avoid the growth of fungus on the vegetables.
A healthy garden can be maintained with proper care and focus. Practicing basic things can make the garden more productive. Proper watering and fertilization should be done for all vegetables as per their need.