Lately, everyone has been talking about how great it is to grow their own food. They even make you feel bad if you continue to buy your veggies at a supermarket. But honestly, is it so easy to embrace sustainable living and grow your own food? Can anyone do it? Is it as easy as brushing your own teeth? (Assuming that brushing your own teeth is easier than brushing other people’s teeth.) Or is growing veggies that can be eaten for dinner more difficult for some than others?
Let's find out what it takes to grow your own vegetables.
Sustainable Living Garden
What if you don’t have the proverbial “green thumb”? Will your garden grow if you plant the seeds? Many people who have never grown anything before are anxious about how to start growing vegetables. Where to buy seeds? Where to plant them? What if it says on the seed packet that you should plant them from July to August, but now it’s January?
Yes, it's easy to say: just buy some seeds and spread them over some soil, and Bob’s your uncle. But is Bob really your uncle here? Of course, you can follow that advice, and you may be lucky, and something actually grows. But for most people, finding out the best practice to saw seeds makes sense.
To ensure your seeds grow, you will need soil rich in nutrients and minerals, adequate sunlight, and enough water for the plant to grow, but not too much water so it rots. To keep things sustainable, it's best to use rainwater collected from your roof rather than municipal water. Yes, right.
What You Need to Grow Your Own Food?
If you are lucky enough to live in a free-standing home with some outdoor space, you can easily set up your vegetable garden there. Mark off areas where you will plant your seeds. Prepare your beds, and install your water tank for watering. Don’t forget to leave some space for a few pathways to ensure you can reach all your vegetables without trampling over the beds. I have made that mistake once. Whenever I wanted to check on my beetroots, I had to gingerly tiptoe through the carrots. Yes, laugh now, but it can easily happen to you. Wait till you plant your seeds for the first time.
If you want to be super fussy and ensure your vegetables pack as many nutrients as possible, you can do a soil test before planting your seeds. Soil tests are available at Grow Guru in Port Elizabeth or check online for your nearest stockists. The test will reveal the type of soil you have and what nutrients you have in abundance, or which ones are lacking. Then, you can prepare a nutrient additive to dig into the soil before planting to ensure bountiful, healthy crops.
On the other hand, if you are like me, you will probably skip this step. Just take a handful of soil and run it through your fingers. If it feels sandy and dry, you know you will need a lot of compost and mulch to help the soil retain moisture. If it feels heavy, a little like the clay we played with as children, you know it will need a lot of compost and mulch to make this soil less dense. If the soil lacks nutrients, you know it will need a lot of compost to supplement the nutritional value of the soil and encourage the biodiversity of worms and bugs that make the soil rich and healthy. So, as you see, whichever type of soil you have, the bottom line is that if you add compost, veggies will grow.
A sustainable food garden grows if you provide soil, sun, and water together with mulching and compost. No exceptions.
Equally important is that your veggie beds should receive at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. If you have less than that, no worries; just grow crops that can handle a bit of shade. Broccoli, peas, beans, onions, cabbage, beetroot, and carrots grow well in partial sun.
Can You Start a Food Garden Without Any Money?
Fresh veggies from the supermarket, farm, or farmers market are expensive. It seems that the more organically they are grown, the more expensive they become. So, people will tell you to grow your own vegetables, and you won’t have to spend money on buying vegetables. That’s the theory, but we know better. We know that nothing in life is for free. There is always a cost.
Let me explain. How much does it cost to start your own veggie patch? Honestly, you can do it on a shoestring budget or spend a couple of thousands of Rands. It depends on your ability to pay and your needs.
For instance, you can plant your seeds directly into the soil in your garden. If you feel the soil quality is exceptionally poor, you may want to start by constructing raised beds or container gardens. The raised beds are an extra cost and can be bought directly from garden centres, Builder’s Warehouse or another outlet, or a cheaper version can be homemade from scraps of wood lying about your home. Of course, we assume that you have the necessary scraps of wood and equipment to put the wood together in some way, like a hammer and nails or a drill and screws. You will also need some woodworking skills. Sometimes, that is harder to find than the tools.
You can buy seeds or seedlings from nurseries and supermarkets or use the free seeds from the organic vegetables you buy from your usual outlets. You can spend money on ready-mixed growing soil or use whatever soil is available in your garden and mix it with organic compost or chemical fertiliser to make your own growing mixture. The compost can be purchased or made at home from kitchen scraps, which will not cost anything. Chemical fertilisers are there to use, but remember, if you want your veggies to be organic and full of natural goodness, you should avoid using those artificial chemical additives. Making your own compost is easy, accessible and much better for you and your garden.
You can use municipal water to water your garden, but that means a higher monthly water bill. Vegetables need water to drink, so this is a non-negotiable resource. To save on costs, you can install a rainwater collection tank and use that water for watering. It will mean an initial outlay of money, but you can recoup those costs by using free water to grow your food.
Will a garden patch be sufficient to ensure you never again have to spend money on plastic-wrapped vegetables from a supermarket? After spending the initial investment and effort, will you have an unending supply of free vegetables?
I know you all want me to say a resounding “Yes!” But here is the deal. Let's consider what it takes to raise vegetables from a tiny seed. Inevitably, it becomes clear that a garden patch may not entirely save you from buying additional veggies at a supermarket. Let me tell you why.
Despite your garden providing an abundance of pride and joy, you will still have to “top up” at the supermarket or farmer’s market from time to time. The simple reason is that humans need to eat every day—multiple times each day, to be exact. Vegetables, on the other hand, take time to grow and mature. Watermelons take 80 days from planting to harvest. You would die of hunger waiting for your watermelon to ripen without buying additional veggies from a shop.
Also, when you plant your crops, they will mature mostly at one time. Humans like and need to eat a variety of veggies each night, so you may have a situation on your hand where you have too many carrots one week, but after a month, you have no carrots at all. Do you see? Surplus and famine are the two extremes you must balance when growing vegetables. There are ways to do that.
Over a couple of years, you will learn what crops grow well in your garden, how much each planting yields, and how much you need to plant to feed your family without too much left over. The Surplus vs. Famine cycle will even out.
The bottom line is that you will have to spend some money to start and maintain your garden. You will also need considerable time before you can totally rely on your bounty without buying from mainstream producers. Of course, whatever you grow, you won’t have to buy anymore, so after doing all the sums with debits and credits, there is hope your bank account will be in the black (like your fertile soil).
Will The Food Garden Feed Me Through the Whole Year?
In South Africa, we are lucky enough to have a climate that allows us to grow vegetables throughout the year. Many areas do not have any frost in winter and don’t get extremely hot during summer, so we can plant vegetables all year round.
Having said that, some vegetables prefer winter planting, like beans, cabbage, carrots, onions, peas, and potatoes, and others thrive when planted in the summer months, like green beans, maize, sunflowers, tomatoes, baby marrows, pumpkins, etc. There is a ton of information about what you can plant when, but that is not the point of this article.
I want to point out that when you plant your first crop, you may not realise that the veggies you planted will stop growing and die at some stage unless you pick them. You will have to start again from seed the following year. Most vegetables don’t grow all year round but in their seasons. You may have to get used to eating certain vegetables at different times of the year unless you are willing to supplement your crop from the supermarket.
There are ways to extend the growing time of crops, but that is more advanced stuff. Once you gain more experience, you can attempt to grow plants out of their seasons. Until then, know they don’t say “eat what is in season” for nothing.
Can Anyone Grow Vegetables?
Most people can grow vegetables. Not everyone, though. Some people may not be able or want to put in the effort to start a garden vegetable patch. Others would love to grow something, but mobility issues prevent them from getting down to earth level to reach things growing in the ground. The knees creak, and the back aches too much for them to be able to do it. Still, others lack the physical strength to work the land. In those extreme cases, supermarket veggies will have to do.
People who live in flats or don’t have access to outside space may also feel that they have to rely on supermarkets for their fresh produce. However, a quick Google search will reveal many options for growing vegetables in confined spaces or indoors. So, if you want to grow something while living in a flat, there are ways. There are even videos on growing mushrooms on your balcony, in the family room, or the garage. Plants are not too fussy. All they need is sunlight, soil, and water. Oh, and a bit of compost never goes to waste.
Having and eating vegetables you grew yourself is the most satisfying thing in the world. It helps you stay connected to the natural world around you. It provides a reason to spend productive time outside in your garden and is a way to get your kids involved in family life. The life skills you can teach them while tending the vegetable patch are endless. They (and you) will learn everything from how to plant, grow and harvest food that is delicious and good for you. And it doesn't end there. Growing vegetables will also impart abstract skills like planning and independence that will set them apart from their peers and help them grow into successful adults. Growing and developing happen both ways in a garden. Humans grow vegetables and vegetables help contribute to personal growth and help us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves.
So now, if you are still reading this, what do you think? Will you want to start your vegetable garden? Is that something that interests you, or do you think you can make a go of it? If so, I salute you and wish you luck. Thank you for doing your best to save our planet.
Comentários