Have you recently purchased a house from among Ridgewood homes for sale? You may be working on some upgrades to make your new home just right, but you may want to think about your landscaping. With spring here, you'll want to spruce up the yard, but how about also growing some vegetables?
That's right. It's the perfect time to consider growing food along with your roses, perennial borders, and whatever else you favor to beautify the property. You'll be glad you did when you start harvesting delicious, fresh produce this summer.
Our real estate agents hope you'll get going and use some of your new space to grow delicious produce. Not sure what to do first? Here are some tips for getting started.
1. Choose Your Site
Getting enough sunlight is the most important factor for choosing a vegetable garden site. Most plants need six to eight hours of sunlight, so you'll need to observe your spot throughout the day to ensure it gets plenty. You can scrimp on sunlight with certain plants, such as greens—spinach, kale, cabbage, and the like, as these can flourish with dappled shade, but most will need full sun.
Another tip: Choose a site where it's easy to access water for the plants.
2. Choose Your Plants
Study up on the plants you want in your garden. Research your plants' needs in books, online, garden catalogs, and nurseries. You'll need to apportion space according to how big your plants grow. For instance, squash and cucumbers will sprawl, while you will need to stake tomatoes. Greens such as spinach, kale, lettuce, and others will require dappled shade to protect them from the harsh sun.
3. Mark Off Your Garden Space
Use a can of spray paint or heavy twine or rope, and mark off your garden's borders. You probably want to keep it small and manageable, especially if you're new to gardening. A space of 100 square feet is ideal.
4. Prepare Your Soil
Preparing the soil is crucial to growing good vegetables. Double-dig the soil with a garden fork, removing rocks and loosening clods. Add soil amendments such as compost or lime if you need to make your soil less acidic or improve your plants' drought resistance, and maybe a load of good soil from the garden store.
5. Prepare Raised Beds
Raised beds not only look better, but they help your plants grow better. They promote better drainage, make the soil less compacted, and warm the soil, so plants grow better in the spring. You should raise beds about 12 inches higher than the surrounding area.
6. Frame Your Garden Plot
Once you've built up the soil, you will want to frame the garden bed with boards you put together or by purchasing a pre-made frame from a garden store. After your frame is in place, mark off where you want to plant your seeds or your starts. Leave a walkway down the middle to gain easier access to your plants for weeding or harvesting.
7. Plant Your Plants
Plant your vegetable plants according to instructions. Mulch around them (leaving a couple of inches of space around the plants) to inhibit weeds and retain moisture. Fertilize regularly.
For questions about creating a vegetable garden or about real estate, contact us today.
