General Tips

Urban Garden Tips For The Beginner

by Editorial Team on March 14th, 2018

The Urban Farm movement has spread globally. In this day of processed food, chemically altered foods, and foods that have been stripped of their natural nutrients, growing our own food is essential.

Urban farms are not large farms, so high-yield crops are in high demand. The urban farmer grows only plants that are edible. Before you break ground spend some time researching. Determine how much space you will dedicate to vegetables and your Seed Needs.

Below you will find some tips on how to begin. By offering these suggestions, we hope you will utilize your property and reap a bountiful harvest.

Survey the area
You do not have to have a huge space for your garden. Take measurements of the area you have. Before you jump in, find out which plants you can lead to growing upwards. If you have limited space horizontally, vertical gardening is a great idea.

Grow fresh herbs to season your fresh veggies with. Punch a hole on either side of an empty coffee can, and use a nail to punch a few holes in the bottom of the can for drainage. Thread rope inside the can and knot them off. Hang the pots on the fence by looping the rope over a fence board. You can cut the rope longer so the can will be lower and shorter to raise it on the fence. Place soil in the coffee cans and plant your herbs.

If frost threatens, you can simply slide the rope off the board and move your herb plants indoors until it is safe to return them.

Do your homework
You need to do some research on plants and your area. There are vegetables that thrive well in winter. Others must be harvested before the first frost. Hit the library or surf the web and make a list of the vegetables that you want to plant and when they need to be planted. Remember the climate. You may live in an area that gets alot of rain. You will plant different plants than someone who lives in a dry climate. You also should research the pests that could be a problem for your garden. Using a service, such as https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/texas/, can help you keep them at bay.

Compost
Everyone who has an urban garden needs to create a compost bin in their yard. A compost pile is made up of editable products and items that can be naturally broken down. Your leftovers, dead leaves, and other green material make a great all natural fertilizer. You can buy a compost bin at any gardening store or you can make your own.

Designate an area at the far end of the garden, away from the house so you will not have to experience the smell and insects that are drawn to it. Be sure you assemble a compost bin with a tight-fitting lid and easy access to use the finished product.

Harvest the rain
Set up a drain system that will capture falling rain and store the rain in a barrel and use it to water your garden. Water is a precious commodity and a good gardener conserves and uses it wisely.

Make it a group effort
Gardening is alot of work. Make it a neighborhood or family affair. There will be veggies and fruits enough for everyone. Share the work and share the bounty.

Use technology – there’s an app for that
There are plenty of free apps you can download to help you. They will give you tips on what to plant and when to plant. They will help you identify bugs or illnesses and give you hints on how to handle them. Set up reminders on your app and never forget important tasks.

You can do this. You can grow your own food and experience, maybe for the first time, the way foods are supposed to taste. It takes some effort, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you. The sooner you begin the sooner you will truly be on the road healthy and delicious food.

Brought to you by our friend, Wendy.

Inspire. Inform. Engage.