Growing a Vegetable Garden

Just like many things that are rewarding and fulfilling vegetable gardening can be frustrating as well.  People will say about a successful gardener “They must have a green thumb because they can grow anything”. The truth is just like with any sport, hobby or occupation it takes time and practice to hone your skill. Gardening is no different than any other endeavor. That is you must get the basic fundamentals down in order to be successful.

I have had a love for growing plants ever since my Grandmother first planted the seed of gardening in me on her porch when I was just a kid. Over my 50 years  of gardening I have killed many plants and have had many crop failures that have taught me how to be successful more times than not.

I love to see things grow. It is just the way I am wired. I see that same love in others as well even if they not gardeners. When you see a beautiful garden it is a thing of beauty. It may be a manicured garden that man has made or natural setting of Gods hand. A Garden is food for soul whether you consume it with your eyes or your mouth. After all God first placed us in the Garden of Eden and I think that it is a deep desire within us to return to the garden.

Growing our own food has many benefits. We get to enjoy the process of seeing plants grow then we get to enjoy it a second time as we eat that food for the nourishment of our bodies.  Sharing a meal with friends and family that has come from something you have grown is fulfilling. Kids are much more likely to eat something they have helped grow or pick from the garden. Food just tastes fresher, much better and is more nutritious when we grow it ourselves.

Start your vegetable garden small until you have had some success.

When I say you should grow your own food I don’t mean that you have to grow all your food. Grow as much or as little as you have time and resources for. A few pots of herbs on the back deck may be your speed and that’s ok. It is better to start small than to dive in the deep water before you are ready to swim.

What I want to show you in this blog is how to get started and how to learn the Basics of growing an Organic vegetable garden. First of all an organic garden is not a garden of neglect. If you just throw out a few seeds and hope for the best you will have limited success. Organic gardening is a holistic approach to growing plants. If you provide all the necessary things a plants needs to be healthy it will not be as susceptible to insects and diseases.

We can’t control everything especially the weather. The basic needs for plants are light, air, nutrients, correct temperature and moisture. To the extent that we can provide those things in the correct amounts for each particular variety then we will have healthier plants,  less insects and diseases and more production of vegetables.

In an organic garden plants also depend on the good bugs to keep down the harmful bug population and for pollination. So we don’t want to kill all the insects. Our remedies even if organic need to be used with care so not to harm beneficial insects.

The beneficial microorganisms in the soil are another consideration and should be seen as an asset to the plants and managed properly.

As you think about growing an organic garden don’t just think of the garden that is absent of synthetic chemicals but think of how you can make the garden the healthiest it can be by natural means.

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