This year, you’re starting a vegetable garden at home so you can eat healthily at a low cost. Growing vegetables, fruits and herbs at home is certainly the best way to consume fresh, organic and ultra-local food while avoiding the extra cost at the grocery store. Many new gardeners make the mistake of planting too much, or not the right varieties, and get discouraged by their garden’s lack of yield. Here are some pro tips to have a vegetable garden that’s productive, but not too productive, and that will be perfect for the needs of your small family of two or three, easy to grow and maintain.
Choosing the right varieties
Some vegetables are easier to grow than others. It’s the case for lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash, with which you’ll most likely have success. For a first year, it might not be recommended to start growing peppers, that require a lot of heat, or cauliflowers that are quite vulnerable to insects. Make smart choices.
Think of planting varieties that your family will eat. We want to avoid food waste at all costs. Having a vegetable garden is a great occasion to discover new flavours, but make sure you’re also growing some safe foods.
Opt for a realistic size
A garden requires care. You’ll need to weed, feed, attach, water, look after and harvest it at the right time to ensure control. If you want to eat your crops fresh, one meter by three should suffice for your vegetable garden. You can even plant in pots on the balcony to make your task easier. If you wish to make preserves, that is another story: you will need to adjust the number of plants accordingly. For this garden size, plan about 30 minutes of care weekly, in total, once the garden is well established.
What to plant
Here’s an idea of a vegetable garden for your family of two to three:
- 3 tomato plants, small cherry ones and large ones
- 1 cucumber plant
- 1 yellow or green zucchini plant
- 1 bag of lettuce seeds of your choice
- 1 packet of bean seeds
- 1 packet of radish or pea seeds
- 1 packet of beet or turnip seeds
- 1 packet of carrots seeds
- 2 basil plants
- 2 herbs plants of your choice
Take fun in creating a vegetable garden that looks like you and suits you. Involve all family members, especially the ones that aren’t too fond of vegetables, in its creation and care. The pride of seeing your vegetables come to life will surely make them taste better! You’ll see your harvests fade fast!
Happy gardening!
