Gardening Basics For Dummies 3e

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Crinnion W, et al. (2010). Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer. This information is especially useful for growing perennial plants — that is, plants like trees, shrubs, and many flowers that can live for several years — because often it’s the coldest winter temperatures that determine where these plants can thrive. Blue fescue ( Festuca glauca): These small, blue, tufted grass plants provide a nice contrast in the garden and lizards love to hang around them.

Getting the dirt on container gardening― discover the advantages of growing plants in containers and learn how to maximize your garden conditions to help plants thriveIf you want to go bigger, a 12’ x 24’ garden in the ground is probably the biggest a first-timer should go. For example, a garden that feeds a family of four could include 3 hills of yellow squash, 1 mound of zucchini, 10 assorted peppers, 6 tomato plants, 12 okra plants, a 12-foot row of bush beans, 2 cucumbers on a cage, 2 eggplants, 6 basil, 1 rosemary, and a few low-growing herbs such as oregano, thyme, andmarjoram. Not all vegetables are planted at the same time. ”Cool-season” vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, and peas grow in the cooler weather of early spring (and fall). “Warm-season” vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers aren’t planted until the soil warms up in late spring andsummer. Predatory mites: This type of mite feeds on spider mites and thrips. Add them to your garden in spring as soon as frost danger has passed.

Incomplete fertilizers: These are missing one or more of the macronutrients, usually the P or the K. Because plants need the sun to grow, many of them, including most fruits and veggies, need a good amount of direct sun during the day. Mmmm. Tasty, tasty sunbeams. You can break down the essential elements of a successful vegetable garden into five words, all starting with the letter S. Here’s a foolproof formula:If you live in an urban environment, you might also want to test the soil for lead, especially if you have little ones that play in the garden and roll in the mud. If planting in a raised bed, a 4’ x 4’ or 4’ x 8’ is a good beginner size. See our Raised Garden Bed Guide, which covers the benefits of raised beds, how to build a raised bed, and what type of soil to fill a raised bedwith. Vegetables for shadier gardens: If you have a garden plot that receives fewer than six hours of direct sunlight, try these vegetables: beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, and Swiss chard. Try eating sunlight. We bet you can’t. Also we bet you look foolish trying to eat sunlight. Plants win this round, okay?) A raised bed is easier to work. Because raised beds are elevated, you don’t have to bend down as much. You can make them taller than 10 inches if you really don’t want to stoop, and you can make the edges wide enough to sit on while you work.