Gardening Tips
Grow Your Own Food
It has become very relevant in these times that we need to become more self-sufficient, sustainable and food secure for the health and well-being of our families, communities and planet. If you have never grown your own food before it can sound very time consuming and daunting. But I am here to help make it a little easier.
1,2,3, VEGGIES!
Soil - It all starts with good soil. Be sure to get ORGANIC SOIL (50% matured compost or manure / 50% topsoil). It is also very important that you make sure that there is enough SOIL DEPTH for the root systems to develop for the plants you are looking to grow.
Sunlight - Nothing replaces Sunlight - Make sure you choose an area that gets FULL SUN (at least 6 hours of full direct sunlight)
Seedlings - ORGANIC HEIRLOOM is the way to go - This means that the seeds are organic, grown in organic soil and that you can save the seeds and grow them next year! Check out KIND EARTH GROWERS for you LOCAL, ORGANIC SEEDLINGS.
Companion Planting
Besides planting The Right Plant, In the Right Place, good soil, sunlight and water there are a few other helpful tricks to a successful garden. The idea of Companion Planting is the idea that when certain plants are grown together it improves each other’s health and yields. For instance, some plants attract beneficial insects that help to protect a companion, while other plants (particularly herbs) act as repellents. Additionally, plants that require a lot of the same nutrients as their neighbors may struggle to get enough for themselves, producing lackluster crops. For more details check out the trustworthy Farmer’s Almanac or click here for a simple chart to help you get up and growing!
What to Plant When
Hardiness Zones divides North America into 11 regions based on climate. Bucks County, PA is in Hardiness Zone 6b. Knowing your Hardiness Zone helps you to find the best plants for your climate. Click here for a helpful chart to let you know when to sow, grow and harvest the best veggies for Zone 6b.
Square Foot Gardening
Square Foot Gardening is a simple method of creating small, orderly and productive kitchen vegetable gardens. It was invented by backyard gardener and engineer Mel Bartholomew. It is an easy to understand, accessible way to start growing your own food. It is ideal for small spaces but even if you have a large garden, utilizing this planting technique will help increase your garden's yield per square foot. Click here for a simple chart to help you get up and growing!
I hope this helps to get you up and growing. If you need further assistance please don’t hesitate to reach out.
And here are some extra Eco Tips for your garden!