The risk in the coming months is "the possibility of a global food crisis" that might linger for years. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the latest episode in a worldwide food crisis that is escalating. While post-pandemic global demand, extreme weather, shrinking food stocks, high energy prices, supply chain bottlenecks, and export restrictions and taxes have all been straining the food market for the past two years, the recent convergence of all of these factors following Russia's invasion is unprecedented, sending food inflation rates soaring around the world (according to Reuters). If, as is likely, the war continues and goods from Ukraine and Russia become unavailable, hundreds of millions more people might become impoverished.
There's why we decided that it is essential to share with you information about plants that will help you provide yourself with food and help avoid today's negative tendencies. We gathered basic information about gardening for beginners outdoors and indoors. Gardening at home has many benefits: you can provide yourself with food, spices, and herbs while also enjoying the care of the plants. So here's our gardening 101 guide.
Benefits & Reasons to Grow Your Own Food
Home gardening has many benefits. It may be an alone pastime or a chance to interact with family and friends. If you doubt whether it is worth spending your time and effort to create and maintain a garden at home, here are some reasons to convince you.
- Save finances. How much you can save depends on how many plants you plant. This includes saving on groceries and on the packages. If you have the opportunity to plant fruit trees or berry bushes, they will yield for years to come.
- Friendly to the environment. Long-distance produce delivery is primarily dependent on oil. Growing veggies and fruits by yourself might help lessen your dependency on this polluting mode of transportation. Another crucial point to consider is that you are not utilizing harmful chemicals or pesticides by cultivating your own meals.
- You ultimately control the process. Because you are the one who plants, maintains, and harvests the foods, you know precisely where it originated from and what you as a gardener put into it. It is reassuring to know that no dangerous chemicals or pesticides were used to raise the produce you want to consume.
- Improving self-esteem. Yes, gardening will help you feel more confident! And all because you went from seed to fruit, and your work has rewarded you and your loved ones with goodies. This will give you a sense of pride and connection with the food you eat.
- More nutritious food. Fresh fruit and veg are not even the most pleasant way of eating them, and it's also the most nutritious. Most of the products sold in grocery shops go through a lengthy procedure of being selected, packed, and distributed to various locations. Sometimes vegs and fruits end up in storage or on the market shell for an extended time before you purchase them, and they lose nutritional value.
- Guaranteed freshness. Buying fruits and vegetables at the shop isn't very encouraging. You have no idea when it was picked or how old it is now on a shelf. If you cultivate your own food, you may be confident that it is fresh since you harvested it!
- Exercise + vitamin D is required. Planting is a beautiful way to enjoy some cool breeze and sunlight. Gardens are also an excellent source of vitamin D, called the sunshine vitamin. Digging, planting, and weeding burn calories while also strengthening your heart.
Home gardening is incredibly beneficial and vital to our physical and mental wellbeing. It can help lessen sadness and anxiety symptoms since it allows you to focus on something and put your mind to work with a goal and job. Fresh fruits, veggies, and berries are also cultivated to inspire you to prepare beautiful recipes and eat a nutritious diet — the advantages of having a home garden impact. They may enhance many aspects of your life.
How to Start a Vegetable Garden
It is critical to identify the aim of your home garden and the resources you are ready to spend for it. Gardens need varying amounts of time, investment, and work to establish, so honestly analyze your possibilities about how much you're prepared to offer.
Analyze Your Situation
Before you start your gardener career, answer these questions:
- How much space do I have?
- Which soil types do I have?
- How much time can I really commit to my garden?
- What should I grow: veggies, fruit, flowers, trees, or shrubs?
- Are there more light or shade zones?
- Will I start with seeds or plants? Etc.
Choose the Perfect Location
Find the best place for your future garden in your apartment or outside. Consider the following factors:
- A bright area. Most veggies require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunshine daily. A few leafy plants can endure some shade. As a result, it is preferable to select a place with abundant sunlight.
- Chill zone. Choose a spot for the garden where strong winds can not get because it will make life difficult for your young plants. It is also advisable not to plant a garden in a place where people are constantly walking or which can flood if it rains heavily. In general, find an island of peace and light in your home.
- Soil that is well permeable to water. If your soil is poorly drained and retains moisture, you must plant vegetables and fruits in raised beds. Otherwise, there is a danger that the roots will rot. Stony soils should be loosened; throw away the stones because they can weaken the plants.
- Nutrient-rich ground. Make sure your soil is nutritious to fill the plants with its richness. Add organic matter and fertilizer before immersing the plants in the soil.
Pick Seedlings
As a novice, begin with simple veggies that are also fast in giving first yields. Be selective about varieties: pay special attention to the seed package, label, and seedling description. Each type of plant has distinct properties. Some cultivate smaller species that are perfect for pots or tiny gardens. Other types provide excellent disease resistance, higher yields, or heat or cold tolerance. Start with fruits and vegetables you enjoy eating, then research various sizes and care requirements.
Find Out Your Plants' Perfect Time and Place
Every location has a varied planting season that is mostly determined by the weather, and each vegetable has its own temperature preferences. Check out the Almanac's Best Planting Dates, a gardening calendar tailored to your area's frost dates.
To competently place the selected plants in your garden area, online applications can help. For example, the Old Farmer's Almanac is a Garden Planning Tool that can be a magic wand for a novice gardener. Draw your garden layout on the computer, drop-in chosen veggies, and it will automatically generate the proper placement for every crop plant!
Plan your garden with confidence! This seasonal chart shows the best times to plant and transplant your favorite fruits and vegetables for a thriving garden.
What Should a First-time Gardener Plant?
Remember that being proud of a tiny garden is preferable to being annoyed by a large one! One of the most typical mistakes along the way is planting too much and too soon – far more than anyone could actually use! Design your garden carefully to avoid over-harvesting. Begin small and just grow what you and your homies will eat. Here is a list of easy-to-grow vegetables, fruits, and greens that are suitable for starting a home garden:
- Green Beans
- Lettuce
- Zucchini
- Carrot
- Peas
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Beets
- Radishes
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Muscadines
- Plums
Easy Gardening Tips
You already know where to start your garden and how to prepare the site for work and harvests. Here are some essential tips for gardening that will help beginners.
- First, plant larger plants. Then, with smaller plants and greenery, you can maneuver in the remaining areas. It is essential to leave enough space for the plants to grow, so they do not press on each other.
- All the most beautiful gardens impress us with the logical structure of planting all plants. Consider the time for the growth and flowering of plants. Find out which plants are annuals and which are perennials. Then try to place them next to each other. Combine groups of herbs and small plants. It is not vital to plant one bush of tomato, lettuce, etc. The group option will be more effective.
- Grow what you adore eating. Choose plants and greens that you often buy. Then you will be more pleasant to take care of them.
- Prepare seedlings for your garden. Egg cartons may be used to start seedlings inside. When the cold season is over and warmer weather is just around the corner, it's a perfect time to start garden seeds. Planting them in eggshells is one of the simplest methods to make it! Each egg spot is filled with the right amount of soil. Just make sure you place the boxes on a water-resistant surface.
- Plant a row of annuals. If you've cleaned up your garden and see an empty spot, seed a plot of annuals. There are a lot of flower combinations, so you'll have some blossoms to bring home.
- An economical option is to try to grow food in containers. You can choose plastic bins for it. Just remember to drill holes in the bottom and use the plastic bottle method to reduce the amount of potting mix you'll need to fill your bins. The container is also designed to grow your own spices or herbs for tea. You can sow the mixture in a container and use it fresh. Below we will add tips for gardening in containers.
Small Indoor Garden Ideas & Container Plants Tips
Every gardener can successfully cultivate vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and shrubs in containers. You need always to double-check that the container is big enough for the plant sort you want. Larger seedlings in too-small pots may struggle to blossom or produce fruit due to a lack of water and nutrients.
If you don't have enough room to сreate your dream garden, be inventive using garden beds and containers. Here are some suggestions for small-space gardening at home:
- Hanging Garden Wall. Make one of your walls green and bloomy! Raising your plant vertically is a simple technique to increase the area available for the home garden. Examine each plant's drainage and sunshine requirements when you decide how to build a hanging garden wall.
- Box Garden. Reusing an old box as a garden bed is a great way to create a place for plants where there were none previously. Boxes can be of different shapes and colors, decorated with something - this is a space for your creativity.
- Pallet Garden. A pallet with enclosed sides is a quick and easy way to create a garden several rows above the ground. You can put them on shelves or add decor to pallets to make your garden more beautiful.
- Raised Beds Garden. Raised beds are a great option if you're short on space or don't have access to usable soil near your house.
Care Tips for Container Plants:
- Container plants demand more regular nutrition and watering than the ones grown in the ground.
- If you're planting hardy plants in containers, they'll need additional winter protection.
- You can't use garden soil; instead, choose a potting mix suited for container planting. You should change the ground every year if you're planting annuals to avoid plant diseases.
You can combine growing on the site and in containers to decide what is best for you.
By the way, if you are a proud owner of a compact space, you may also want to read about best trees for small gardens!
FAQ
What are the five stages of gardening?
Gardening includes nuances depending on where and how you plant the seeds, but the main steps are as follows:
- Choose the best spot and seeds.
- Prepare the soil and plant the seedlings.
- Water and fertilize sprouts as needed.
- Regularly clean the ground of thistles.
- Harvest your yield and enjoy!
What is the easiest thing to grow in a garden?
In general, growing veggies does not need a lot of effort. Try zucchini, carrots, and beets if you have an outside space. And you may cultivate smaller plants indoors, such as radish, peas, lettuce, and other spices. Their benefit is fast growth: you will be able to harvest the first crops in nearly a month.
