GardenGap.com » Gardening » Gardening Care and Tips

Gardening Care and Tips

With spring just around the corner, many Texans will be getting spring fever and will begin to til the land preparing for a garden. Having a garden is not only fun, it can be handy during hard economic times.
Growing your own vegetables and fruits not only cost less, but they taste much better than what you can buy in the grocery store.
You cannot have a successful garden unless you know when to plant and what to plant. Many gardeners begin planting in late March. The average last frost day in central Texas is March 15. To be safe, most people wait until the end of March to plant.
Not sure what to plant? Here is a list of a few vegetables that can be planted in late March.
* Broccoli.
* Chard
* Collards
* leaf lettuce
* mustard
It is important to follow planting directions when planting vegetables to get the best results.
Here are a few vegetables that can be planted in late March
* cantaloupe (it is important to make little mounds of dirt, plant several seeds at once)
* Corn (when planting corn, do not plant too close together. Planting corn too closely will result in missing kernels and smaller ears)
* Cucumber (make sure you have plenty of space in your garden, cucumbers like space. It is also good if you install a trellis for them to climb when they begin to grow)
* eggplant
* black-eyed peas
* summer squash
* Watermelon (sow watermelon seeds in hills or rows. Sow three to four seeds per hill, spacing the eight to ten feet apart)
Where you plant your garden is just as important as how you plant your garden. Make sure you have plenty of sunshine and water your garden regularly. If you decide to use a pesticide in your garden, try to choose something that is natural and not toxic to the ground. Remember, you will be consuming what you plant and what you fertilize with.
Don't get discouraged if your gardening is limited to insufficient space or poor soil conditions. There is an easy solution this problem. Try planting your vegetables in containers. Any vegetable that can be grown in the grown can most likely be grown in a container.
Just about any container will work. Make sure they are large enough for the type of vegetable you are planting. Tomatoes, eggplants, lettuce and peppers do especially well in containers.
Before you plant in containers, be sure to drill holes in the bottom of the container for drainage. Next, it is best to place a layer of course gravel on the bottom to help with proper drainage. Another great thing about container gardening is you can choose the soil you want to use, unlike ground gardening where you have to use what is available.
No matter where you live or how you choose to plant a garden, have fun and be creative with your projects. Not only are you helping your family and health, but you are also helping the environment!