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make a vegetable garden
Much of the secret to being able to live a sustainable and ecological life, through self-management and self-sufficiency in various aspects, is in food.
That is why at ecocosas.com, in this sense, we always share resources in the form of articles, videos and other tips that range from how to grow carrots to make homemade bread, passing by making fertilizers without chemicals or how to clean ecologically.
On this occasion, once again, we talk about the orchard. In this case of the home garden or vegetable garden, as you prefer, for which you do not need a lot of space, it can be a very small plot on a terrace, and in this article we thought of our readers who live in the city, which is why we are going to talk about urban gardens.
You don’t need a big investment to start your own mini garden, just some information to get started and take the first steps in the planting and harvesting task.
The first thing is to have a plot that should not be too large, since a garden for a family of four or five members only requires a few square meters of area.
Homemade mini urban garden
We’ll take a look at what our idea of a vegetable garden or mini urban vegetable garden is all about and the things to consider when building one.
The terraces
It only takes a few terraces to get good results. With about five we will have enough, because the secret is not only in the size of the garden but also in its maintenance and its system. In this sense, there are three fundamental aspects to take into account: rotation, the use of organic fertilizers and the association of plants.
Earth
But before getting into the details of pitch maintenance, one must consider pitch preparation. It will be enough to clear the ground, remove weeds, stones and glass to then establish the terraces, which must have a margin of between 30 and 40 cm between one and the other, in order to be able to walk between they.
Experts in the field advise not to move the earth again and again but simply to integrate the clods of earth into the natural ground, then level the area with a rake.
fertilizer
So yes, we will already be able to plant, although to take this step we must take into account some aspects that will undoubtedly affect the good results of planting your garden at home. One of them refers to the use of Organic fertilizers to enrich the soil.
Good organic compost can be made on your own with organic leftovers such as eggshells, potato scraps, manure, ashes, fruit scraps, etc. Just throw them to the ground evenly then hose down the area to get good humidity or just take the waste, pour water over it and cover it with plastic so it ferments and then yes, throw them in the garden. another way is compost with plant remains to fertilize the soil.
Planting
This is how, with these basic requirements, we will fully enter the sowing stage which, although simple, has its secrets. The first thing is to think about what you want to grow because the options are very varied.
It can be beans, onions, cauliflower, beets or Swiss chard, or even lettuce or leek. You should always get the local sowing calendar to know when to sow, which we will explain later in general terms how the garden is prepared depending on the season of the year and the use of the greenhouses. The options are endless.
At the time of planting, there are two alternatives: per seed or in direct waythrow the seeds on the ground. Normally, during direct sowing, many plants grow in the same place, so when they grow a little, we choose the most vigorous and we pull out those that have grown less.
This happens approximately every month. This technique is known as thinning. If planting from seed is chosen, the soil should be placed in small containers for a few seeds.
I normally use egg cartons which work great and are also biodegradable. You can use cylinders of toilet paper or rolls of kitchen paper, we put soil, mixed with hummus or compost and a little sand or coconut fiber to have a good drainage.
We put a few seeds per container and wait to have a small plant or seedling which we will then transplant to its final location after 30 to 45 days. Thus, in the germination and growth phase, when the plant is more fragile, it can be controlled in terms of climate, water, etc.
The mini garden of one square meter
Many people who have little space at home think they can’t grow their own food. But that’s not the case if even a small portion of food can be grown at home, there are plenty of solutions for small spaces.
Growing some of our food lowers the carbon footprint of the house and we get clean food without pesticides, it’s also therapeutic and it helps to entertain the little ones.
This system, specially designed for small spaces, is increasingly popular with urban gardeners. It can produce enough to supply one person for an entire month.
Its small size makes it easy to plant, water and harvest without much effort. In addition, it can be done on a raised table and thus bring the harvest closer to people with reduced mobility.
The system is simple. The square meter is drawn on the ground, or a box of one square meter is made and then divided into equal squares of 25 cm on each side. Inside each square will go a different vegetable or vegetable.
Image: SERPAR (Lima Park Service, Peru)The most recommended foods to grow with this system are:
- small plants: radish, carrot, onion, spinach, beetroot, lettuce and sauce.
- large plants: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and peppers.
- vertical plants: tomato, cucumber, green beans, peas and beans.
The ideal materials to build this garden are wood, reeds, iron or copper tubing, and above all you should try to avoid plastics.
We need to place the plants from highest to lowest, to make sure they all get sunlight. Vertical plants such as tomato plants or cucumbers should be hung to optimize space.
Crop rotation is automatic. For example, a crop that requires more time, such as a tomato, is planted between other faster growing crops so that they are harvested just when the tomato plant will need more space.
Another issue to keep in mind in this mini vegetable garden is that this system prevents the appearance of weeds and pests, thanks to the great diversity of crops, and that the land we use must be rich in organic matter .
Tips to keep in mind in your garden
Excellent expert advice highlights the support culture, that is, planting together those plants that somehow benefit from each other. This may be because they are supplemented with their nutrients or because some of them repel insects. Some examples? Beets and carrots, basil and tomatoes, but also lettuce, spinach and escarole.
Other ideas that may help you, although not specifically designed for an urban home or garden, are those in the following video I made some time ago. Here are 10 tips for a successful garden: