Food Growing Tips

Now that we are through some of the worst of the winter weather, you may want to start your preparations for spring. One of the best things that you can do for your health, family, and budget is to grow your own food. It's surprisingly simple, and you can control what pesticides, if any, are used on your vegetables. The best part is, you can grow these outdoors, even if you only have a small amount of space to work with. We've got some food growing tips that will help you to have your own vegetable garden growing strong in no time.

• Plant in full sun. We cannot stress this enough. You'll want your veggies to get at least 6 hours of it each day, and while you can't control the weather, you can control where you put your veggie garden. You'll also want to make sure that when your sprouts start to grow, that the corn or tomatoes don't block the others from getting sun.
• Don't drown your plants. Some flowers need a lot of water, and it seems like they are dying without sufficient hydration, but vegetables only need about one inch of water per week, so be careful how much you give them. If you give them too much, it can actually create diseases that will kill your plants before your first harvest.
• Apply pesticides carefully. Whether you are using a store-bought variety or you are making your own, you'll want to ensure that it is applied early in the morning or later in the evening, and only when necessary. Some could cause your plants to burn in the sun if they are applied in the middle of the day, so be careful.
• Plant in triangles. If you plant in rows, you may find that your plants are fighting for soil, water, and life, and one plant will kill out the other. The last thing you want is to lose your precious spinach because your cucumbers have had a growth spurt. Make sure to give your plants enough space too. Research how much space they need, and follow that. Giving too little space will overcrowd and you'll find your plants kill each other or they won't produce as much food.
• Build up the soil. You want to ensure that you are building up the soil, so your plants can get deep with their root systems, and get all the nutrients and water they need. This will produce a better yield.
• Group your vegetables by compatibility. Cucumbers without a place to climb, and other hardy vegetables near it, will strangle out other plants near it, so you want them to be on their own or with other plants that won't be killed off. A good combination is corn, beans, and squash or carrots, radishes, and onions. You want to put like with like, to a degree.

These food growing tips will help you to have your own vegetable garden in no time. Just have patience, and make sure you are checking in on your plants each day. You may also need some fencing or protection to keep wild animals from enjoying your fresh vegetables once they are close to harvest.