So you have decided you want to plant a garden for the first time this summer?
White County Ag Extension Agent Scott Swoape said most vegetables can be planted until mid June. Swoape said when starting a garden, it is important to plant somewhere that gets between six and eight hours of sunlight a day and has high quality soil. Swoape said there are benefits to growing your own crops instead of buying them from the store.
“A lot of times, some of those vegetables, fruits and vegetables and stuff, they have preservatives that have been applied to them so their shelf life will remain a little bit longer,” Swoape said. “If you’re growing them yourself, you know what’s been put into that plant, and that you know that, you know, it’s safe and the freshest it can be.”
Swoape said gardeners should think about what they want to grow before planting.
“What does their family consume?” Swoape said. “What do they like? If nobody in the family likes Brussels sprouts, don’t waste any time or space with Brussels sprouts. So figure out the plants they want to grow and the foods they like to eat, and then, you know, focus in on those.”
Swoape said gardens require lots of time and effort, like watering, de-weeding, and maintaining the crops until harvest.
Swoape said gardeners get started through either direct seeding or transplanting seedlings from another source. Swoape said transplanting is common with crops like tomatoes and peppers.
Swoape said both traditional and raised gardens should have enough room to grow the desired crops.
“Some of the beans, cucumbers, vine crops can actually go vertical, so they won’t take up as much space if you do that,” Swoape said. “If you just let them run out uncontrolled, then they’re going to take up a whole lot more space.”
