For whatever reason, you may decide to start growing food in your garden this year. It’s a great way to be less wasteful and to save money on your shopping bill. Nevertheless, there will obviously be a few things to think about when attempting this. Amongst all the various concerns, these three things are the most important:
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Pest Control
You will definitely encounter different pests when growing food in your garden. Different animals may be attracted to your food, meaning they trample or ruin them. A protective fence can deter a lot of pests, as can getting a family cat! However, it’s the smaller pests you need to worry about – like spotted lanternflies. These bugs have become increasingly common and will basically eat through crops. So, you have to learn how to get rid of spotted lanternflies – and any other crop-eating bugs. Otherwise, all of your food will be ruined and half-eaten before it has a chance to grow!
Sunlight
Naturally, plants need different things to help them grow. Soil is one, water is another, but sunlight is arguably the most important. Most plants will need at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, to help them grow big and tall. Therefore, if you want to grow food in your garden, you need to find a place that provides ample sunlight. It’s not a good idea to create a vegetable patch in the shade of a wall or tree. Nothing will grow because you simply don’t have enough light. Instead, look at your garden and see where most of the sunlight shines. This might require a day or two of looking outside and monitoring the sun’s passage! Some people say you can use artificial light, but this is a waste of electricity. The best option is to find the perfect spot in your garden where there’s enough light during the day.
Soil
As mentioned above, the soil is crucial when growing anything. In reality, if your soil isn’t up to scratch, there’s no hope of anything growing in your garden. Your first task is to get a soil test that tells you about the state of your soil. Here, you can learn about things like pH balance, soil quality, etc. Don’t worry if this confuses you, the people providing the test will provide more context. They’ll help you pick the right compost and fertilizers to improve the soil for what you’re hoping to grow.
What about if you’re creating a raised vegetable garden? This is where you make a bed for your veg that’s above the ground. It’s typically done when you don’t have any grass or soil in your garden. Here, you don’t need a soil test, but it helps to research the best soil to buy for this bed. Again, it will ensure everything grows correctly. Interestingly, a raised vegetable garden is also a good deterrent for some pests.
Be aware of these three things when attempting to grow vegetables in your garden. One final note: don’t go overboard! It’s best to pick a small selection of vegetables/fruit and focus on growing them.