Food safety and supply are other issues. Likewise transporting food to distant destinations from countries with questionable health habits.
So you would think everyone with a sunny back yard, even a deck or balcony, would be eager to grow at least some of their vegetables and fruit. Sure, it takes a little learning, time and work. But if you’re really concerned about what you eat, where it comes from and how it is grown then you want to start your own home farm.
Here’s what you will need:
Sun – at least six hours a day, much better if eight or more hours
Soil – easy to dig, well drained, with no roots from nearby trees or bushes
Water – reliable supply every day: this is the biggest ‘trick’ to successful veggie growing
Fertilizer – dry ‘granular’ (natural or artificial) plus liquid for hungry crops such as tomatoes
Tools – digging spade to prepare vegetable garden; gravel rake to level soil; trowel and hoe also useful
Seeds – cost less than already-growing seedlings and better selection at garden centres; follow the directions on the packages; don’t overcrowd, a very common error
Containers – pots, hanging baskets at least 10-inches diameter; window boxes 10- by 10-inches on end
Space – you can get lots into a small area; 10- by 10-feet is 100 square feet, enough for your first year
Posts – tomatoes, cucumbers and pole beans do best, take up less space, grown up 8-foot, 2- by 2-inch square stakes hammered two feet into the ground; or use fences to support your crops
Potting Soil – garden soil doesn’t work in pots; use special mixtures labeled for containers
Big Plants – zucchini and pumpkins are fun but take up lots of space, at least 20 square feet for each plant
Heat – most vegetable plants like it hot but usually lettuce and spinach hate it; plant and harvest them early
