You may start walking more or exercising outdoors, but you also might look forward to growing plants. If you want something more exciting, it’s time to step into the world of growing your own edible gardens.
Just in time for National Gardening Week, read on to learn how to grow your very own urban vegetable and herb garden from the comfort of your patio. You don’t need a yard to try something new and enjoy the accomplishment that comes with eating food you grew.
1. Get the right dirt
The soil in a backyard typically has a variety of nutrients because it interacts with the world every day. You’ll need to find good dirt with the same nutrients to promote plant growth. While you’re comparing prices and brands, avoid non-organic products to keep chemicals away from the food you’ll eat after you harvest.
2. Learn their sunlight needs
SOURCE: PIXABAY
When you buy a pack of seeds or a small plant, you’ll find instructions on where to plant it. It may need an area with constant sun or mostly shade. Because you’re only working with a patio, learn how much sunlight your plants will need and write down a schedule. You may need to move each pot around your porch to get the proper amount of sunshine or shade, depending on what you grow.
3. Hand pollinate your garden
If your patio is on a second or third floor, it’s farther away from bugs that will help your plants grow. An easy solution is to pick plants that don’t require pollination, such as broccoli, potatoes, peas, carrots, corn and more.
If you choose greenery that requires pollination, don’t hope bees will find them in time. Instead, you can learn to hand-pollinate your plants. To start, you’ll need to determine which plants are male and which are female. Then, remove flowers from the male ones and rub them on the middle parts of the female ones.
4. Protect your plants
In early spring and the surprise cold summer mornings, your plants could experience frost and not grow as well. Watch weather predictions carefully, and when you need to, use flour sack towels to protect them from freezing temperatures. The cotton material will offer a protective barrier against the cold.
5. Water everything correctly
SOURCE: PIXABAY
Another downside to urban gardening is that you don’t have access to a hose. You need to read about how much water your plants need so that you can get the correct watering supplies. Greenery that needs heavy watering will benefit from a traditional watering can. If you grow anything that needs a light soaking, try using a spritz or spray bottle.
Do your research before you start your garden
Urban gardening doesn’t have to be a distant dream. Do your research, and you can grow almost anything on your patio. Pick your plants, learn what they need and figure out the best ways to help them grow to have success with veggies and herbs.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
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