A Practical Guide to Planning and Maintaining a Family Vegetable Garden
Get close to nature, bring the vegetable garden into your home. Nowadays, whether in the city or the suburbs, people long to grow a small vegetable garden of their own, so they can eat green, safe vegetables while also cultivating their character and returning to nature. But most families have limited conditions, so how should a family vegetable garden be planned and planted? Today we have put together the key points to note in planning a small family vegetable garden.
What should you plant?
Courtyard
In an ordinary urban household, space is mostly limited, so you should choose the corresponding space and location according to the habits of different vegetables and fruits, and make good use of every inch of land. If planting in a courtyard, it is best to use a north-south orientation as the base, as this reduces shading from light; perennial plants (chives, daylily) are suitable for planting in flat areas of the garden; vine plants such as luffa should be planted against a wall, at one end of the courtyard, or given a frame (so they do not shade other areas); eggplants, chili peppers, green peppers and the like should be planted in the open middle area with plenty of sunlight.
Recommended(attractive and practical companion planting): plant climbing vines such as yardlong beans, luffa and cucumber together; plant chili peppers, eggplants and Chinese cabbage together.
Apartment buildings
If you live in a household on a higher floor of an apartment building, you can also have a small vegetable garden of your own. You can choose a rooftop terrace (if conditions allow) or a balcony or indoor space, using plant containers such as flower pots or wooden boxes filled with nutrient soil to grow vegetables. Because the area is small, people generally grow vegetables and fruits such as "tomatoes", "chives", "garlic" and "lemons", combining ornamental value with edible use. Everyone can choose the corresponding vegetables and fruits to grow according to their own conditions.
Recommended: chives, scallions, cilantro, radishes, garlic and so on, which can make full use of the space
In addition, whether in a courtyard or an apartment building, plants that set fruit and mature quickly should be planted together; the same variety of plant should not be planted in excessive quantities, and plants that attract pests, such as legumes, are not recommended. You can also choose for yourself according to the cycle and habits of the crops.
Fast-growing with a short cycle: bok choy, green garlic, sprouting vegetables, mustard greens, Shanghai bok choy, leaf lettuce
Long harvest period: tomatoes, chives, scallions, chili peppers, coriander, cilantro and so on
Space-saving: scallions, ginger, radishes, lettuce, cilantro
Easy to grow: ginger, scallions, bitter melon, carrots, lettuce, baby bok choy
Not prone to pests: sweet potato leaves, aloe, ginseng herb, scallions, chives, cress
Points to note
For growing containers you can choose most reinforced, durable materials such as wood, foam and plastic. There are many growing containers on the market; spiral-shaped ones can increase space. Be sure to ensure smooth drainage at the bottom and corrosion resistance.
Keep the growing environment well ventilated. For most vegetables, water once a day, and a moderate amount is enough.
Under home growing conditions, for vegetables and fruits to grow robustly and healthily, fertilizer is indispensable, so you must pay attention when choosing fertilizer: it must ensure the quality of vegetable growth and fruiting, and even moregreen, environmentally friendly and healthy, suitable for home growing, so the top recommendation is"microbial inoculant fertilizer"This type of fertilizer ensures high yield and high quality of vegetables and fruits, prevents pests and diseases, improves the soil, and is green and healthy, making it the best choice for home growing.