5 Unusual Tips For Growing Fruit & Vegetables - Part 2
Thanks for coming back - and I hope the first few tips have been of help to you.
Now lets look at the final 2 tips which include; Choosing the right variety of fruit or vegetable for your needs, and thinking about growing food organically.
4) Variety Is The Spice Of Life:
There are now so many varieties of each fruit or vegetable to account for your tastes and for the locations they thrive in - so pick yours wisely.
Don’t just buy the one that has the cheapest seeds in the store - pick the one you are going to enjoy the taste of and that will grow in the place and in the time you want it to.
If you are busy at work during the summer or going away for a few week in spring, then make sure your variety don’t need too much attention at that point. If you have an alkali soil - then make sure you don’t buy a variety that loves acidic ground. I know it all sounds a bit technical - but just ask the experts where you live.
Take time to visit a local fruit grower near to where you live (same soil and same weather) and find out what they grow - then buy their seeds and take their advice.
Tell them your requirements too, for example there is no need to buy a product that gives off tonnes of fruit or veg at the same time if you are living alone as you will never be able to eat it all yourself (unless you want to learn about preserving it as well).
At the other end of the scale, you don’t want a rarer vegetable that only produces one or 2 edible parts if you have a family of 4 to feed! Plan your seasonal needs way ahead, and then link these up with the types and cycles of the plants that are available.
5) Growing Organic?
Don’t forget that the seeds you buy, or the plants you purchase might not have been grown organically - it’s a very complex chain. Decide how far back you want to be ‘organic’ for or how strict you are going to be.
And, unless you test it - how do you know that your yard isn’t full or chemical residues from previous land-use? You can’t, so you need to start from scratch and apply no more chemicals at all to it.
And, most importantly; how do you even know that the soil you wish to use is even full of nutrients? It is possible that the type of soil is not suitable for retaining nutrients or has been completely drained or natural resources over the years.
If you are on a purpose built housing estate (even if it is 100 years old), it is possible that just below your topsoil is a layer of industrial waste like broken bricks, wooden poles, or previous garden waste from past owners? I found and entire flat tarpaulin sheet and a concrete pillar buried in my back yard!
So, if you want to grow healthy and organic crops yourself, it may be wise to install raised beds for your plants so you can control the soil yourself.
Once the sides are up (obviously using chemical free and naturally strong materials) I would dig over the existing soil (not too deep) and remove any large stones or other objects. Then mix in a few cms of well rotted horse manure (or organic alternative) - then completely cover with alfalfa, clover or mustard.
These fast growing plants are great for pulling nutrients back into the soil ready to grow something worth eating! When they are fully grown and covering the inside of your raised bed, then dig them back in to the existing soil and add more organically sourced soil or horse manure to raise the beds to the top.
Then you can get started knowing that from now on you are growing your fruit and vegetables organically!
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Tags: alfalfa, chemical free, different varieties, fruit varieties, grow your own, growing organically, insect free, nitrogen fixers, organic fruit, organic veg, raised beds, top tips for home grown, vegetable garden, vegetable varieties, yard gardening, your own food, your own organic food
