Vegetable Gardening – Page 2

Now That’s a Vegetable Garden! by UGArdener

As clean water becomes a more scarce commodity and because of the rising cost of using it or the towns’ limiting of the use of water on flowers and lawns due to drought, as well as because fresh produce prices are going up, many people are converting their front lawns as well as their back yards to vegetable gardens.

It used to be that there were rules regarding the plantings on your front yard. These rules may still be in effect where you live. So before you decide to create a vegetable and herb garden on your front yard, or even before you plant drought-tolerant plants and remove the lawn, find out what is allowed in your community.Â You don’t want to pay a fine should your town or housing development have laws on the books that don’t allow certain plantings in the front of the house. Or you may not want to destroy your lawn and flowering plants in the front of the house and upset your neighbors’ feelings.

Continue reading “Converting your lawn into a vegetable garden”

TheGardenLady received this question from Tricia.

I am very new to gardening, but would love to grow my own veggies. I have a starter set with lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers. I have a large space in my backyard, but it is full of wood chips. Can I plant here? If so what is my next step. Do I need a fence so animals do not get to it?

To have success with vegetable gardening, because vegetables love good friable soil with excellent drainage, you will have to do a lot to prepare your large space. Space alone is not enough to have a vegetable garden. The space for vegetable gardening must be in the sun. Vegetables, especially tomatoes, need all the sun they can get.

Without the proper preparation, you are setting yourself up for frustration and perhaps failure. So this year, you might consider planting vegetables in pots while you get the space in your backyard ready for planting. Buy good potting soil that says it is for vegetables. Some of these soils have fertilizers added to help the plants. Buy or get large pots and plant your vegetables in them this year. You can use either clay pots or plastic pots so long as there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Then you can start doing the hard work for next year’s vegetable garden in your allotted space.

Continue reading “Vegetable Gardening for Newbies”