![]() Now that you’re clear on which household produce favorites will grow well in your area and are aligned with your garden goal, it’s finally time to pull out the seed catalog. The shortlist of crops you’d like to grow, plus your desired characteristics for each crop, becomes your seed shopping list! Choosing & finding the best seeds for your garden Use your garden planner to record the desired characteristics of each crop you’d like to grow. There are many varieties of each vegetable, each with different characteristics. Getting clear on the traits you’d like your vegetables to have will really help you when you start seed shopping. While it’s tempting to want to grow one of everything in the grocery store, you’ll be limited if you’re starting a balcony veggie garden (or really any reasonably-sized home garden). If you don’t know which vegetables you’d like to grow, check out my list of recommended vegetable varieties.Īnd of course, there are always space limitations. For instance, if your goal includes growing enough tomatoes to make 52 cans of tomato sauce, you’ll want to grow a prolific paste tomato that produces a ton of tomatoes that also taste amazing. If you’ve already set your garden goal using your garden plan, you’ll have a good idea of the traits you’re looking for in growing vegetables. I love growing tomatoes that have a long harvest season and are tasty right off the vine! Thanks to jane thomson for this photo of me :) Choosing which vegetables to grow in your garden Just be clear that the crops you’re listing align with your overall garden goal. “Tomato plants, Pole beans, Bell peppers, Summer squash” Or, if your garden goal is to grow only things you’ve never tried before, make a list of those edibles. If there’s a veggie that you’d love to eat, but just can’t find in your local area, go ahead and add it to the list. Once you have a general idea of what grows well in your area and what you generally eat, you can match up the two to choose what to grow in your garden. Use your garden planner to record a short list of vegetables that your family loves to eat, will grow well in your area, and are in alignment with your garden goal. In my household, this includes the kale we put in our smoothies, the tomatoes I use for making salsa and pasta sauce, and the fresh herbs I love to season everything with. The next step in keeping yourself from going crazy with the seed catalog is by making a list of the things you actually eat in your household. You may also find it helpful to ask your garden mentor what crops grow well in your area and are well suited to your individual garden. Take a wander around the local market to get some inspiration. ![]() Generally, most of what you see at a local independent farmers’ market is grown in the area. If you’ve never started a garden before and are unsure what you can grow outside, the Farmers Market is a great place to get inspiration. You may also decide that growing a huge pumpkin vine on your tiny patio is more of a chore than you’re ready to take on. ![]() This might encourage you to grow shade-lovers such as salad and smoothie greens. You may find that your garden is in the shade all afternoon, which may limit your options for plants that can grow. Take a moment to consider what your own garden area actually looks like and the environmental conditions it experiences. Whether you simply want to plant vegetables or you’re gearing up for fall harvest, If you don’t know your zone, check out this article to learn what zone you’re in. If your family eats bananas every day, but you live in Northern Canada, there are definitely easier crops for you to grow that fit within your growing zone. One of the first steps when deciding what to grow is to consider what growing zone you’re in. Fill in your Planner: Crop choice and seed shopping list What can you actually grow in your garden?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |