The Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting: Using Nature’s Gift in Your Garden

When you see the price of fresh fruit and vegetables in your local supermarket, you might realise that starting a vegetable garden can make a great deal of financial sense. After all, why pay exorbitant prices when you can produce your own vegetables year after year for a mere fraction of the cost?

Often, people only prefer to buy vegetables from the supermarket because they don’t know how to start their own garden. It’s easier than you might think, especially when you take the steps below.  

Step 1: Choose a Location and Bed Type

The first and most important step in your journey to being more self-sufficient with produce is choosing where you want to put your garden and the type of garden you want to have. Choose an area of your yard that receives at least six hours of sun per day. Somewhere facing east and north can often be ideal.

If you live somewhere particularly warm, you might need a form of sun shade to prevent your vegetables from getting too much sun. With an ideal spot in mind, you must then decide whether you prefer in-ground or raised garden beds.

If you have heavy clay soil, in-ground garden beds can be less ideal since soil needs to be well-draining to help your plants thrive. While you might need to spend a bit of money purchasing or making raised beds, you can stand a better chance of enjoying thriving crops. Moreover, raised beds can be much more comfortable to work on.  

Step 2: Get the Soil Right

Good-quality soil can be imperative for healthy plants, so don’t neglect this step when establishing your new vegetable garden. If you’re working with an in-ground garden, mix in organic matter like compost or blood and bone to give your plants the nutrients they’ll need to thrive.

Gardeners choosing to grow plants in a raised garden bed can purchase the most appropriate soil from their local garden centre. If you’re unsure what you need, talk to an employee who can point you in the right direction.

Step 3: Choose Your Plants

Starting a vegetable garden for the first time can be exciting, so purchasing a huge range of seeds or seedlings to grow a little bit of everything can be tempting. However, the wider your variety of plants as a new gardener, the more overwhelming gardening can be. Start small, and you can broaden your horizons in the future.

Seeds typically offer more value for money, despite seedlings giving your plants a head-start. If you plant seeds in the garden at the right time, there’s no reason why they can’t produce a lucrative yield.

Stick with varieties you know your family will enjoy, such as peas, carrots, potatoes, beans, and lettuce. With just a few options, you can dedicate more of your time to perfecting their growing conditions and enjoy healthy plants in the weeks to come.

Step 4: Plant Your Seeds

Now that you have seeds for the vegetables your family will enjoy eating, it’s time to plant them! However, before you do, read the seed packet instructions thoroughly to ensure you’re planting them correctly and at the right time. Remember, seeds can take a great deal of time to germinate and grow, so conditions and timing can be everything.

Most seed packets provide helpful information on the months to plant them in, the type of soil they need, how much sunshine they require, and how deep and far apart they should be. Follow these instructions closely to improve your chances of success.

Step 5: Water and Wait

While vegetables don’t typically need your help to grow once you provide them with sunshine and high-quality soil, they still need a regular water source. A watering can or hose is more than sufficient if you have them, but you can also invest in drip irrigation systems or soaker hoses to ensure your plants get water where it’s most needed.

If you’re worried about intense sunshine drying your garden beds out before the water has a chance to get to the roots, add organic mulch to the soil. A thin layer of organic mulch, while leaving space around the plants, can help keep the soil moist while giving your plants much-needed nutrients to thrive.

With a regular watering schedule in place, now all you need to do is wait until your plants are ready to harvest!

Start Your Own Vegetable Garden Today

Vegetable gardens don’t have to be reserved for those with experience. Anyone with any level of gardening experience can grow their own vegetables with great success. If you need a helping hand bringing your garden to life, talk to your local gardening experts. You can then be on your way to being more self-sufficient and spending less at your local supermarket.