ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Weather, insects. Even tariffs … all three can impact the availability and the cost of our summer veggies. However, figuring out what to plant when can make sure that you are using your garden to its full potential and getting cheaper produce.
More than a third of U.S. households grow some of their own food. But if you don’t have a natural green thumb, one of the best places to start is at a community garden, where there are already experienced gardeners.
Daniel Friedline, Sustainability Project Manager, told Ivanhoe, “You really get that added information from those gardeners that have been here for a long time and they know what works and some of the issues that go along with being able to grow fruits and vegetables.”
A garden takes a lot of maintenance, so start small. You can still do plenty with very little space.
“There’s a really unique method to gardening. It’s called the square foot gardening,” he said
Using a square foot of soil, you can maximize your gardening potential by growing veggies that balance each other, like basil and tomatoes, carrots and onions, or beans and corn.
“Some plants really like to be with other plants because they complement each other, and they work together instead of one taking all the nutrients from the other one,” he explained.
Finally, it all comes down to location, location, location. Do your research and find out which fruits and veggies grow best in this area. Urban Farmers provides a chart on their website that detail when and where certain crops grow best.
Another tip that can stretch out your dollar, grow produce that can be easily stored or preserved. Potatoes, onions, and sweet potatoes can be stored at room temperature for several months. Beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and sweet corn can be easily frozen.
Sources: : https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/CostofFoodJan2015.pdf
https://garden.org/special/pdf/2014-NGA-Garden-to-Table.pdf
https://www.ufseeds.com/learning/planting-schedules/)
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/mar/060201.htm
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Milvionne Chery, Writer and Robert Walko, Editor.
To receive a free weekly email on Smart Living from Ivanhoe, sign up at: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk
