Calling all soldiers of the soil, it's time to plant a victory garden! During WW1, victory gardens served to preserve food and encourage home gardening. The need for these gardens increased again with WWII and by the end of the war, 40% of America's produce came from home gardens. Starting your own victory garden is not difficult and listed below are the crops by season & seed/plant sources. Garden centers are still considered "essential services," so just remember to take precautions and be mindful of social distancing if you venture out to purchase supplies. Once your garden is thriving and producing, we will do a post in the summer on canning and preserving.
What to Plant and When
- Spring- carrots, lettuce, kale, onions, peas, & radishes
- Summer- basil, bush beans, pole beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, pumpkin, squashes, tomatoes, & watermelons
- Fall- beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, & turnips
*Vegetables in BOLD are recommended for beginners since they are easy to grow.
Where to Plant
- Pick a location in your yard that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.
- Starting with good soil is key. Plants like loamy soil, so their roots can move more freely. If your soil is heavy on the clay side, use soil amendments to improve soil quality. A loamy soil will allow the soil to also drain properly and prevent root rot.
- Start small. A good recommendation size is 16' x 10' and will feed a family of four.
No space for a garden plot? No worries, here is how to grow successfully with containers.
Happy planting!
No comments:
Post a Comment