Creating A Low-Maintenance Vegetable Garden
If you have ever wanted to grow your own food, but never had the time, now may be the perfect opportunity to get started. While 1 in 4 Americans are now under shelter-in-place orders because of the coronavirus, rookie gardeners are experimenting with victory gardens this spring. Gardening can be a healthy hobby for anyone looking for a respite from the stress of modern life. Growing your own food is enjoyable and rewarding. However, countless hours tending and weeding a garden can quickly become a source of stress. If you’re a novice and don’t have a lot of experience in the garden, these tips will help you grow a low-maintenance vegetable garden.
Start Small
Excited about putting fresh, healthy, and delicious food on your table? It may be tempting to “think big” by planting a large garden. However, experienced gardeners warn this may lead to frustration and the urge to give up. Instead, beginning gardeners should start small and expand as they go. A raised bed garden, for example, is a quick and easy way to get a garden started. Best of all, this no-till method means there is no need to dig up your backyard. Better Homes and Gardens shares this no-fail-three-season plan for a raised bed vegetable garden that is fruitful from early spring into fall. Keep it simple and select up to five vegetables to grow. You will get a sense of how much time gardening takes and how much produce you and your family can eat. Need more low maintenance garden ideas? Grow a salsa garden. Or for the ultimate low-maintenance crop, start with an herb garden.
Choosing Vegetables
In order to save time, money and frustration, do a bit of research to learn which vegetables grow best in your area. Here in North Texas, for example, Texas A&M AgriLife, the state’s leading agriculture agency, provides region-specific recommendations for achieving a successful harvest. Like many states, North Texas vegetable gardeners have two main growing seasons: spring and fall. The most successful Warm-Season crops to grow in this region include beans, tomatoes, cucumber, squash, peppers, and eggplant. Cool-Season crops include potatoes, garlic, onions, beets carrots, most greens, and peas.
After establishing the best crops for your location, choose easy vegetables that don’t need a lot of attention other than watering and harvesting. Some of the easiest vegetables to grow are beans, cucumber, garlic, leafy greens, green onion, squash, or tomatoes. It may take some digging to find recommended crops for your area but better to be thrilled by what you produce than be frustrated by wasted time and money. Google has made researching any topic easy so invest a bit time before diving into a vegetable garden. You will thank yourself later.
Medicare Questions?
We hope these tips will help you plan a low-maintenance “victory garden” that will reward you with fresh food throughout the garden season. As we continue on this coronavirus journey, remember to keep your health at the forefront. If you have Medicare questions call Empower today. Let us help with your Medicare questions so you can get back to the activities you enjoy the most. 1-888-446-9157 or click here to get an INSTANT QUOTE