Growing Vegetables and Herbs

Home-grown vegetables and herbs add colour to your garden and often taste better than store-bought produce. Growing outdoor edibles your whole family can enjoy is a cost-saving project you can do at home by following a few simple steps:

• Pick a sunny spot for your garden
• Add nutrients to soil using compost or mulch
• Eliminate weeds with eco-friendly products
• Water regularly and pick your harvest at peak ripeness

Pick a Sunny Spot
Most vegetable and herbs need at least six hours of sun to flourish, so pick the sunniest spot in your yard for planting. Some leafy vegetables and herbs can grow in partly sunny areas, but your harvest will be larger in full sun. Planting near a fence or trellis will also help if you plan to grow vining vegetables, such as tomatoes and snow peas.

Prepare the Soil
Plants and vegetables don’t thrive well in tightly-packed soil. Ensure heavy soil is loosened to a depth of at least 12 inches to promote optimal water flow and strong root development. Enrich your soil using compost or mulch, and then rake the surface. Motorized cultivators can also help you save time and labour; however, if you don't want to make the investment rent one at The Home Depot.

Eliminate Weeds Early
A little weeding early in the season can mean less work in summer, and more time picking your harvest. A key time to fight weeds is in the spring after planting. Annual weeds love to germinate in bare spots and newly disturbed soil. Take action early, but be mindful of local bans on pesticides or herbicides. Instead, choose natural alternatives such as Scotts EcoSense Weed Control Spray, which is ideal for use in areas with pesticide/herbicide bans and will yield excellent results.

Choose Unusual Varieties
One of the benefits of growing your own edibles is choosing unique varieties not found in grocery stores. Experiment at home – choose round zucchini; lavender eggplant or large Brandywine heirloom tomatoes. But plant only what you plan to eat. Family and friends may appreciate an extra tomato or two, but bushels of beets may be a hard sell. Otherwise, your composter may have to work overtime.

Water Regularly
Most fruits and vegetables need at least 2.5 centimetres of water each week to thrive. Invest in a soft spray watering wand and water your garden in the early morning to prevent any moisture loss through evaporation. Fruits and vegetables also need nutrients to grow. To aid in development, choose organic fertilizers that are safe to use around children and pets. Remember to also pick your harvest at peak ripeness.  

Spice It Up With Herbs
Basil, chives, dill and most other herbs prefer leaner soils and fewer nutrients, so they can be successfully grown in your vegetable patch, while culinary herbs from the Mediterranean, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano, tend to thrive in more coarse, sandy and quick-draining soils. Try to grow these in an adjoining patch or in containers where the soil be can modified to their liking.