Gardening Basics

For those who know me, you may laugh that I am giving tips on gardening. I am not a green thumb, however, I am determined that this is the year. I have the benefit of having a dad who graduated with a Masters in Agricultural Science and a brother who has taken after my dad and has mastered the art of growing a perfect garden.

Here are some pretty basic veggies that are easy to grow at home:

Tomatoes (both full size and cherry)*

Green Beans (bush variety)*

Green Peppers*

Herbs*

Sugar Snap Peas

Cucumbers

Squash

Potatoes

Lettuce

The things with the (*) can easily be grown in a big pot on your back porch or patio. You just need full sun. All other things listed grow really well in North Carolina, but they need more space, so they really need to be planted in a garden bed.

All plants need three things:

1. Sun - Make sure that you plant in a sunny spot.

2. Water - Make sure to keep you plants watered. It gets HOT here during the summer, and many a plant have fried due to my neglect in this area.

3. Nutrient Rich Soil - This is the golden ticket as far as vegetable gardening is concerned. You need to have the right balance of topsoil, peet moss and compost. The general rule of thumb is 1 part top soil to 1 part peet moss to 1 part compost. I use any old compost, but my brother is a big believer in mushroom compost.

If you are going to plant in containers, just fill up the container with the soil mixture and plant away. If you are using a garden bed, you need to prepare the beds first. It is fairly easy to build a bed. You just need to decide on your dimensions, and get treated lumber to match the dimensions. It is important to buy treated lumber, so that it won't weather and warp. Once you nail everything together, staple landscaper's fabric to the bottom of the box and then place in a sunny area. Fill with the soil mixture and start planting. By stapling landscaper's fabric to the bottom, you decrease the amount of weeds drastically, if not eliminate them altogether.

Most fresh vegetables and fruits can be preserved by freezing or canning. Here is a great link with lots of information about preserving your harvest - www.pickyourown.org. This is a also a fantastic site for finding "pick your own" farms in your area. If gardening isn't your thing, going to a farm and picking your own produce is a good option.

Gardening is a fantastic family activity. It is a great way to teach your kids about work and healthy living.