An Argument for Planting A Vegetable Garden

This is my persuasive argument to get you to plant a veggie garden this year. Many of you already do so, and I would ask for you to pass this on to your family and friends who do not yet plant a garden. Lets see how many people we can help to start gardening this year!

1. Some opponents to gardening might argue that growing a garden is too much work. My rebuttal would be: Growing a garden is less work than you think if you do it right. By starting out small it will help you gauge how big of a garden you can handle. Besides, growing a garden can help you to be more active, get outside and get some vitamin D, both of which will give you more energy for the other parts of your life.


2. Gardening is dirty. My rebuttal: That's What gloves, and/or a nail scrub brush, and/or some gardening shoes are for. There's something therapeutic about digging around in the dirt. Besides, few things in life are worth having that you didn't have to work hard and get dirty for.


3. I can buy veggies at the store, why go through the trouble to grow them?  My rebuttal: Growing your own veggies is a cheep way to get that healthy organic produce that everyone talks about. Home grown veggies have more vitamins and taste WAY better. Just ask my kids. It is a great way to add more veggies into your diet and it is cheaper than buying the produce from the store. So it saves you money and its healthier- I don't see any negatives to this.

• Sub argument: I like the way store bought veggies taste. Sub rebuttal: Then pick them 4  weeks before they ripen, put them in a cooler and drive them around in your car for 2 weeks, then eat them. Problem solved.

1. I don't have a green thumb and cant seem to grow a garden. My rebuttal: Plants are so basic in their needs. As long as you meet these, they will grow strong and healthy. Water often, plant in direct sunlight in rich soil. The sun is where they get the energy to grow. Full sun is best but some plants can tolerate partial shade. If that fails, find a friend who dose have a green thumb and volunteer to help them out for a season to learn their tricks. And of course follow this blog.


2. I do not have the space to grow a garden. My rebuttal: Yes you do. You can grow some in containers on your apartment patio, or rent a plot in a local community garden. Get creative and figure out a solution. There are many people in big cities that still grow a garden.


3. My soil is bad and will not grow anything. My rebuttal: Add organic matter, and lots of it. You can also get your soil tested at a local Aggie university for very inexpensive and that will tell you exactly what you need to add to your soil to make it conducive for growing plants. But you can't go wrong with adding nice composted organic matter. Doing a little homework on the soil in your area can go a long ways to help you grow a great garden.

This being the time of year for New Years Resolutions I say what is a better resolution than growing a veggie garden. It will help you get more active, eat better and help you be happier. AND it is a goal that is doable. I am so passionate about people growing their own Vegetable Gardens because I KNOW how good it feels to grow, harvest and eat fruits and vegetables that I grew. It makes me so happy and that is why I want to share it with you and help others find that  joy in growing a garden too. I don't think it is one of those hobbies that is just for some people. This is something everyone can and should do. There are solutions to every problem. I have friends who made their grow boxes 4 feet high so that someone in a wheel chair could help weed and take care of it. It is worth the small investment that it takes to start a garden- there are even solutions for that too. So many cheep ways to get a garden growing. Just take the plunge and get started this year.

Happy Gardening!!

Related articles

• How To Plant An Urban Garden (proplants.com)


• Community Garden Checklist (eastwoodcommunitygardens.wordpress.com)

Preparing your soil in the spring

Soil is literally the foundation of your garden. A great foundation to your garden will bring a great harvest. The key to good garden soil is deep, loose, fertile and well-draining soil.

How do you obtain this, you ask? Well, no matter the kind of soil, clay, sand the very best thing you can do for your soil is to add lots and lots of organic matter every year. Organic matter is anything that is no longer alive( accept meet and dog and cat feces carry too much disease). So things like leaves in the fall and small wood shavings and anything that was green at one time counts as organic matter. That includes steer manure and composted plants.

If you are starting a new bed for your garden in the spring, then make sure you add lots of organic matter, and every year thereafter. You can buy bags of steer manure and peat moss to mix into the soil if you do not want to make your own compost. Things like wood chips are considered organic matter, but they take such a long time to break down that they are not the best option to add to your garden soil. After the plants are planted in the early summer, we add a nice compost as a dressing on top of the soil and around the plants to help keep moisture in the soil and cool the roots of the vegetables. We do not gather this up, but rather leave it and add more next year. This would count as adding organic matter. They we add chopped up leaves with the lawn mower in the fall with a little nitrogen fertilizer to break it down. Free excellent organic matter- it cant get better than that. 

Here is a picture of leaf mold which is leaves just broken down from a few years ago. This makes an excellent amendment to the soil.