Living Off Your Own Garden For Beginners

Whilst the world in various parts is in lockdown why not ponder on the value of growing your own food? This was the norm in my childhood, in fact you were the exception if you didn’t have a veggie garden and fruit trees. Thing too is, you won’t be dependent on corporations to eat. Now that’s a good thing. And you can grow veggies in tubs, indoors (google that) or on your section. Last note, NZ (for Kiwis) has its own gardening guru Wally Richards. He has a website called Garden News & believe it or not, an 0800number so you can phone him for advice. I did that just recently after moving house to learn how to treat the  previously sprayed garden plot (yes Roundup!!… highly toxic … yes they lied) before planting any food there. (Links to Wally’s two websites below the article) Note also, there is a garden page here at the main menu, I just have not updated it for a while but worth a visit .. EWR

From the ‘Vegan Sustainability’ magazine:

There is a huge growing trend in people wanting to become more self-sufficient, where living off your own garden can provide enormous health and environmental benefits.

The following is a beginner’s guide, with information on how to get started, and a few tips and tricks to make growing your own food easy!

Deciding Where to Grow

Vegetables grow best where it is sunny, so choose carefully when you are deciding where to plant. You can always add shade for more delicate crops such as salad and fruit bushes.

The majority of soil found in gardens will suit vegetable growing. However, if your soil is shallow, full of stones or clay rich, which will be cold and wet in winter, build raised beds or plant in large pots.

Dealing with Pests

One advantage of growing your own produce is the avoidance of pesticides and therefore you will want to deal with slugs and snails naturally.

Keep the plot clear of weeds and leaves and put a paved or soil path between beds, so you or the birds can spot pests easily.  Check out this link for tips on non-violent pest control in the garden.

Preparing the Soil

Before you start planting you should turn the soil over and remove weeds, roots and stones. This helps to prevent weeds returning and improves drainage. Some gardens will suffer the blight of perennial weeds and in this case cover the soil with newspaper and add a layer of compost about 5cm in depth.

READ MORE

http://vegansustainability.com/living-off-your-own-garden-for-beginners/

WALLY RICHARDS’ WEBSITES:

https://www.0800466464.co.nz/

http://www.gardenews.co.nz/

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Photo 2: vegansustainability.com

Photo 1: Image by jf-gabnor from Pixabay