Starting a garden at home is one of the best ways to shrink your carbon footprint while also boosting your health with better nutrition. Gardening requires a lot of work, but it’s well worth the effort. The best part is that anyone can garden no matter the amount of space they have. Below, discover tricks and tips for getting a great harvest every year.
Gathering Supplies
Gardening can be done with minimal equipment, but you’ll still need some basics…
- Wheelbarrows can come in very handy.
- A garden tiller, hand trowel, gardening gloves and a pair of pruning shears are all useful tools.
- You may also need tomato cages or vegetable trellises to support your plants.
- Consider fencing supplies to keep out pests and critters.
Planning Out Your Garden
One of the first steps in starting a garden is choosing your plot (or containers!) and thinking about logistics, such as how you’ll water your plants…
- Think carefully about the ideal size and location of your garden.
- There are also numerous types of containers designed for gardening in small spaces.
- Mapping out your garden layout will help when you start buying seeds or seedlings.
- Next, choose an irrigation system, which may include equipment like sprinklers or soaker hoses.
- Collecting rainwater can save you money on utilities while also helping the planet.
- If you install a complex system, look at valves that regulate the water.
Prepping and Planting
With your garden planned out, it’s time to start getting things in the ground. Here’s how to begin…
- Weigh the pros and cons of starting plants from seeds versus buying seedlings.
- Check the appropriate time for starting vegetables outside so they don’t die in the frost.
- When planting for the first time, you may need to till the soil for best results.
- Make sure you aren’t planting your seeds or seedlings too close together.
Keeping Your Garden Healthy and Productive
Gardening is hardly a set-and-forget activity. Once your garden is established, it requires regular care and maintenance…
- You should check your soil health regularly and amend it as needed.
- Making your own compost can help your soil and boost the growth of your plants.
- Controlling pests with natural methods can improve the health of your plants too.
Starting and maintaining a garden is a worthwhile endeavor. Following these tips will help you make the most of your garden whether you’re planting on an apartment balcony or have acres of land at your disposal.
Carrie Spencer created The Spencers Adventures to share her family’s homesteading adventures. On the site, she shares tips on living self-sufficiently, fruit and vegetable gardening, parenting, conservation, and more. Her family’s goal is to live as self-sufficiently and environmentally-consciously as possible.
