#fast4earth Start a home garden or grow herbs on windowsill
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations. (Isaiah 61:11)
Starting your own little home garden or growing a few herbs on your windowsill is a great fun activity and also gets some healthy fresh veg into your diet. And if you fall in love with gardening … who knows where your garden might end up!
- Decide what you would like to grow and eat!
Not much point growing vegetables or herbs that your family doesn’t like to eat! You will need some advice on what to grow in this season. Ask other successful gardeners in your area, or google to find best veggies to plant in your area in which season.
If you don’t have much space – they don’t go for a giant pumpkin!
- Choose the right location
Most fruits and vegetables need full sun, with a minimum of five hours of direct sunlight per day for fruiting. Greens, herbs and root veggies will grow in partial shade.
Think about how you will access the garden for picking, watering and caring for your plants. Out of site often equals out of mind – and a neglected garden. Avoid high wind areas. Watch out for pet damage and children’s play areas.
- Plan your garden beds
You can start with as small as a garden in a tyre, or make a garden bed out of old pallets. If you have space to plant a bed, then plant in blocks no more than a meter wide (so that you can reach the centre from either side without trampling your seedlings). You only add fertilizer and soil amendments to the planting area, which saves time and money. Work with companion plants (google to find which ones grow best together) to attract beneficial insects and improve yields.
Start small, and make sure to give each plant enough room to grow.
- Getting your soil healthy
The better your soil, the better your vegetables will be. Start a compost heap, you can also ask neighbours to give you their organic waste.
- Start with some seeds and some seedlings
If you can afford some seedlings, it is a good idea to start with a six pack or two of seedlings, as you will quickly see the fruit of your labours! And then so long you can be planting seeds. (follow instructions on the packet)> Store the opened packet in a closed container.
Plant seeds roughly 3 times as deep as the size of the seed. (unless the package says something else)
- Nurture your garden
A rule of thumb for watering is that plants need around 2 cm of water per week during the growing season. If rains fail, you’ll need to water your garden.
Over watering is as bad as under watering, so always check the soil before turning on a tap or hitting the rain barrels. Soil that is too wet can cause seeds and roots to rot.
- Enjoy your harvest
As crops mature, make sure to harvest promptly for best quality. Leafy greens like lettuce are “cut and come again”, which means you can clip off the leaves and they will regrow for another harvest.
Find out which crops do the best in your conditions and remember to rotate – plant something different in a different part of the garden, this heals the soil and avoids pests.
Gardening is also good for your health. It can fight depression, reduce stress and improve your diet.
Adapted from https://commonsensehome.com/start-a-garden/