How to Build a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden – 3 Questions You Should Ask Yourself

Learning the ‘how’ of some things does not just focus on the step-by-step procedures.  It must be backed up with some important considerations that one must take into account first before anything else.

how to build raised vegetable garden beds

1.    Where to place my garden?

-       Sunlight is the primary concern of gardeners or those who would want to start a garden.  Check your chosen location if it gets a minimum of eight hours of sun exposure daily.

-       Source of water must also be consider although you can make use of garden hose if it’s a bit far.

2.    What is my garden size?

-       Width: Bear in mind that you must not step on top of the soil of the raised bed garden. Therefore, in order to do that, you should design a bed which you can access the middle from both sides, ideally that’s around 48 inches (4 ft) wide.  Although of course, you can make the width shorter or wider as long as you get control of the area.

-       Depth:  For vegetables, you may start with six inches (1/2 ft).  For other crops that require a deeper earth, 10 to 12 inches would serve best.

-       Length: Regardless how long your garden you wanted it to be, you may do so.

3.    How do I construct the bed?

-       First, mark the outline of the bed (both inner and outer side) using a chalk or other marker.

-       Next, plough at least ½ foot channel in the outline of the bed.  Remove turfs and weeds then fill it out with 2 inches of gravel.

-       Then, lay down the first layer of woods.  After that, assemble the second layer of woods.  Make use of level each time you put the timbers together.

-       Finally, fill the base of the bed with three inches of gravel, followed by the quality topsoil and compost that you have.

With that three essential questions to think about, understanding how to build a raised bed vegetable garden is a lot easier and comprehensive.

How to Build a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden – Concrete Walls versus Wooden Walls

Concrete and wood are the typical materials for creating a raised bed garden.  But each type has its own pros and cons which you just have to assess before choosing your wall material.

• Concrete Walls

Advantages

Learn Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening

-       Keep your garden from invasion of slugs and snails.

-       Preserve the moisture of the soil.

-       Concrete walls are known to retain the temperature at night time which helps in extending the growing period of the plants.

-       Can be corner-less or seamless.

Disadvantages

-       The lime component of concrete may leach over time which can disturb the soil balance and affect the development of your vegetation.

• Wooden Walls

Advantages

-       Untreated woods like cedar, oak and redwood contain natural insect-repellant properties which do not harm the plants.

-       These not-chemically treated woods are also known to be durable and rot-resistant.

Disadvantages

-       Wooden walls usually have gaps and holes in which weeds can get through.

-       Give chance of habitation for slugs and snails.

-       There’s a chance to lose soil moisture especially during hot season.

-       Crops that grew in treated-wood beds can neither be labeled nor sell as organic plants.

Getting the whole picture on how to build a raised bed vegetable garden starts not just on the site or compost to be utilized but to the wall materials as well.

How to Build a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden – The Ideal Irrigation System

Gardeners and planters have seen the how simple and efficient drip watering method is.  Some of the reasons why they pick this system over the other watering practices are as follows:

Benefits of Drip Irrigation Technique

-       This irrigation procedure is the most practical way of watering raised bed gardens.

-       It conserves significant amount of water than sprinklers.

-       It supplies water directly to plant roots where it is needed.

-       With automated timer, you won’t forget your watering schedule.

If you want to be successful on how to build a raised bed vegetable garden, you better be concerned on the irrigation supply as well.

How to Build a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden – Plant Your Veggies!

Once your raised bed is fully constructed, all that’s left for you to do is plant!  Since you have limited space, you may not plant all types of crops especially potatoes since they would require spacious soil area, although of course, it depends on how big your garden is.  The following are the top selections of veggies you may place in your ground.

Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Layout

• Carrots

It has been proven that carrots planted in raised bed grow better than those in traditional soil.  The customized compost in your bed offers carrots the nutrition they need.

• Beets

Beets are easy to grow and can be harvested just after a few weeks or when they reach the size of a golf ball.

• Radishes

Similar with beets, radishes are planted and grown easily.

• Onions

They are low maintenance crop which makes them fit for raised bed planting.

If you really want to push on how to build a raised bed vegetable garden, then vegetables that are trouble-free to grow should be your preference plants.

Got educated in just few minutes with this article?  Let your friends know about how to build a raised bed vegetable garden as well and be a flora enthusiasts; meanwhile, let your own idea be heard by writing out on the comment section.

Raised Bed Gardening Tips – What to do Before and After Planting?

Going out of the conventional gardening is fun and exciting.  But of course, you must be responsible enough to know the necessary things you must do before you get to start with your task.  Preparation is just the beginning.  There’s still the after-planting job that garden owners must accomplish.  Take a review of the following advices.

3 Hints Before You Decide to Plant

How to build raised Bed garden

• To walk or not to walk.

Make up your mind if you want to step on some parts of your raised bed garden or not.  If you think you’ll need to, you may install patio pavers, with that you get to avoid walking over the soil.

• Prepare an irrigation plan.

Doing so would save you a lot of time later on.  You may choose either soaker hose or drip water system.

• Check the surrounding tree roots.

If your raised bed garden is located near some large trees the best way to avoid weeds is by installing a fence or barricade at the bottom of the bed.  Your blockade material can be available in the market or you can recycle some of your old carpets or thick cardboards.

3 Pointers When You’re Done Planting

• Mulch your garden.

This process would improve moisture retention of your soil.  It would also decrease the quantity of weeds.

• Loosen up your soil.

There will be times when the soil will be compressed.  Alleviate it by fluffing the bed with garden fork.

• Add at least one inch layer of compost each year.

Since soil depletes as time goes by, you may put over an extra inch of compost annually to patch it up.

With the summary of raised bed gardening tips above, you’ll definitely have a wider knowledge how to take care of the soil and plants at the same time.

Raised Bed Gardening Tips – Benefits and Drawbacks of Raised Bed Planting

Some gardeners already shifted to raised bed garden, some remain with the traditional way, but for what reason?  They probably weighed the pros and cons of the system.  Check the enumeration below.

• Benefits

-       You get a chance to prepare your own soil mixture with the essential nutrients your plants need in order to grow.

-       Less fatigue and effort – no hassle of bending and stooping.

-       You can organize your crops the way you wanted.

-       Easy to maintain.

-       Soil erosion incidents are reduced.

-       Protection from animals and weeding.

-       Ideal for those who do not have much land area.

• Drawbacks

-       Manual cultivation.

-       A bit costly as compared with conventional gardening.

Tips on Raised Bed gardening

-       Raised bed garden requires frequent irrigation especially for areas with hot climate.

-       Once you selected the wrong materials for the construction of raised bed, chemical leakage may occur which is very harmful for the crops.

Did you find the drawbacks as real hindrances for pursuing raised bed planting?  If not, then continue reading the rest of the article for the complete raised bed gardening tips that you can still learn!

Raised Bed Gardening Tips – Composting Procedures

Although your plants are not on the ‘typical’ soil, you may still apply composting techniques that may enhance the growth of your flowers or veggies.

• Worm Tubes

-       The principle of this method is to have a specific area in your garden wherein you can collect kitchen leftovers. Worms would then come over beneath the tubes and eat.  When they’re done, they’ll crawl back into the soil and deposit their wastes which in turn become your compost.

-       If you would create a tube or a bin, make it sure it has the three essential needs of worms- aeration, temperature and moisture.

• Trench composting

-       This is a very straightforward approach wherein you just have to dig a channel around 1 foot deep.  Fill half of the trench’s height with dried plants, kitchen leftovers and other compostable substances and cover them up with the earth you’ve ploughed out.

-       Trench composting does not require any kind of maintenance in order to take effect.

-       This method focuses on the plant roots where it is needed.

-       With this technique, you need not worry about the odor of the rotting wastes because they are beneath the ground.

With raised bed gardening tips to follow, you are not just controlling the soil but you get to customize your composting technique as well.

Raised Bed Gardening Tips – What’s the Best Wood to Use?

Location and plants are not the sole considerations when it comes to raised bed planting but the wood material that would be used as well.  Wrong selection may lead to leaching of chemicals from treated woods that could be absorbed by your crops, gradually destroying them.  With that, think of the following wood choices that are proven to be safe and effective.

• Cedar wood

This lumber has shown its capacity to resist rot caused by irrigation.  It also has natural protective layer that shields against insects.

• Redwood

Similar with cedar wood, this timber is one of the top choices of gardeners when it comes to building raised bed gardens.  Pest and deterioration have no place in your vegetation should you decide to use redwood.

• Recycled wood

Raised Vegetable Garden

Though it may be a reprocess material it is more expensive than some normal type of woods.  One reason for that is some of its varieties are made from a mixture of plastic and wood fibers making the material more durable and sturdier.

There you have them, the gardeners’ favorite wood choices!  With the enlightenment of raised bed gardening tips, you’ll be able to pick your own preference with full confidence!

Got a better picture of unconventional way of planting?  Share these raised bed gardening tips with your friends and have fun gardening; your own idea would be most welcome too by filling out the comment section.

Top 8 Choices of Organic Fertilizers for Vegetable Gardens

organic fertilizer for vegetable garden

1.  Manures

-          droppings of cattle

-          wastes from human habitats

-          rubbish of slaughterhouses

2. Bat  and Seabird Guano

-          Guanos are the wastes (urine and feces) of bats and seabirds

-          Abundant in nutrients particularly in phosphorus and nitrogen

-          During dry conditions, other

minerals are formed from guanos like gypsum, opal, nitrocalcite, arcanite and a lot more.

3.  Bone Meal

-          Rich in calcium and with significant amount of phosphate

-          Ideal for growing fruit trees and flowers since it strengthens roots

4.  Shell Meal

-          Made by crushing bones and/or shells of crustaceans.

-          Great source of calcium as well as phosphorus

-          Contains chitin, a polysaccharide that is also found in outer skeleton of other invertebrates

5.  Blood Meal

-          Made by drying and grinding the blood collected from slaughterhouse of farm animals.

-          Good source of nitrogen although must not be applied on huge amount to avoid root burning.

-          Promotes growth of green leaves

6.  Rock Phosphate

-          Can be formed by grinding calcium or lime-based phosphate rock.

-          With considerable amount of phosphate and other nutrients.

7.  Greensand

-          Great source of iron and potassium

-          Has moisture retention property

-          Not a water soluble fertilizer

8.  Fish Emulsion

-          It is considered a mild fertilizer.

-          Its nutrients are released faster than other organic fertilizers.

-          Does not damage plants because it does not add salinity to the soil.

With the choices above, you won’t definitely get enough of organic fertilizers for vegetable gardens so you better make up your mind!

Selecting the Ideal Organic Fertilizers for Vegetable Gardens – 3 Tips You Must Not Ignore

Vegetable Garden Organic Fertilizers

With vast choices of compost in the market, some are misled from what they should really purchase.  Bear in the mind the following tips that would guide you what to look for in a fertilizer.

• Check the NPK profile.

NPK – Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium respectively are the basic nutrients your crops need so that they would develop into their mature stage.

1. For turf grass or corn – choose a fertilizer with a maximum of 10% formula of Nitrogen
2. For flowering plants, fruits and veggies – choose a fertilizer with a ratio of 5-5-5.
3. For new plants – opt for a higher concentration of phosphorus

• Add up the numbers.

When the total numbers of NPK result to more than 15, there’s a big chance that the fertilizer is not really pure organic but with chemical mixtures.

• Availability of other nutrients.

Aside from NPK, secondary minerals may still aid in growing plants such as Sulfur (S), Iron (Fe), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg).

With the above guidelines, picking for the right organic fertilizers for vegetable gardens is a lot easier and safer.

Organic Fertilizers for Vegetable Gardens versus Inorganic

Gardeners always have a choice whether to go for organic or non-organic compost.  To better understand the difference, check the simple comparison shown below.

• Organic Fertilizers

Advantages

-          Works slowly but surely.

Organisms in soil take time to break the organic fertilizers so that the plants absorb the nutrients well without wasting any amount.

-          Improves soil’s characteristics.

Organic fertilizers provide better aeration of plant roots as well as water retention of the soil.

Disadvantages

-          Nutrients are not readily taken in by plants.

Since the minerals and nutrients are absorb at the snail’s pace, your crops are not yet fed by the amount they need on a certain time.

-          Contains small concentrations of nutrients.

Although some fertilizers are great source of the basic nutrients required by plants in order to grow, they still don’t have a concentrated amount of those minerals therefore gardeners must supply huge volume to meet the demanded nutrition.

best organic fertilizer for vegetable garden

• Inorganic Fertilizers

Advantages

-          Produces higher yields.

In the U.S and in other countries around the world, the use of inorganic fertilizers shows a maximum of 50% crop yield.

-          Does not require lengthy decomposition.

This characteristic enables your crops to immediately absorb the nutrients.

Disadvantages

-          May burn out plants.

Excessive application of non-organic nutrients may cause dryness of crops.

-          They leach.

When rain comes or you are to irrigate your plants, inorganic feeds tend to leach specifically Nitrogen.  They stay under plant roots which would not bring any good effect to your vegetation.

Have you seen their difference? Although it’s clear that organic fertilizers for vegetable gardens are safer and more effective to use, inorganic options still have pros that must be consider.

3 Easy Steps for Do-It-Yourself Organic Fertilizers for Vegetable Gardens

DIY systems are always welcome when it comes to this type of procedure.  True enough for organic fertilizers, you can create your own by following the simple steps below.

1.      Choose the right container.

You may either purchase a commercial container or create your own but be sure that it’s big enough to accommodate the volume of waste materials that would be added to the pile.

2.      Filling of organic material.

Make sure to fill the container up to 1/3 of its height with organic material.  Wet these materials using garden hose and check if all are moistened to expedite decomposition process.  Balance the mixture with carbon-rich materials and nitrogen-rich stuffs.

3.      Aeration of the pile.

This process aids the putrefaction of your compost.  You just have to bring up the decayed material and make it as cover for the fresh material underneath.

You have to wait for at least 3 months up to one year before you can say that the compost is ready to use.  Of course the decomposition process varies depending on temperature conditions as well as the materials you’ve used.  But after months or year had passed, your composts are now ready as organic fertilizers for vegetable gardens.

Did you find this article informative?  Let your friends know about organic fertilizers for vegetable gardens too and together you can explore the flora kingdom; you may also share your opinion thru the comment section.

How to build hydroponic grow box

Another valuable benefit you get from using hydroponics is that you do not expose your plants to toxic pesticides and too much use of fertilizers.  This growing procedure allows you to save water as well.  It has been proven also that with hydroponic system you can grow your plants at least 30% faster than the conventional planting. With homegrown hydroponics grow box systems, you get the output you desire with low maintenance and the most convenient way you deserve!

Three Stages of Homegrown Hydroponics Grow Box Systems

Beginners should know that there are three levels of growing hydroponics plants.  With that knowledge, they will be able to understand what changes occur to plants at certain periods of their development.  The three stages of hydroponically grown plants are as follows:

• First Stage – Clipping of Clones

This is the period where the plants require your concentration.  You may choose grow boxes that contain an area which accommodates the mother plants or those grow boxes that have a separate section meant for cloning.

• Second Stage – Vegetation

During this phase you let the clones reach 1/3 of the height of the grow box. In order to raise the plants fast, you may switch to 24 hour light timing.

• Third Stage – Flowering

The typical flowering cycle is from 6 to 8 weeks depending on what variety of plants you are trying to grow. With this stage, the key is to maintain a temperature gap of at least 5 to 10°F which pushes your plant to reproduce.

Now, you won’t be questioning yourself what to do when you see that your plant is growing.  You just have to record the date and observe what is happening to them during the different stages.  Learning the changes that would occur to your plants makes your planting activity with homegrown hydroponics grow box systems very interesting.

Homegrown Hydroponics Grow Box Systems – Choices of Growing Mediums

build you own hydroponics Grow Box System

Hydroponics taught us that we don’t need soil in order to grow plants.  Another good thing about this planting system is that you can select from different types of growing mediums.  Some of which are as follows:

• Silica

This growing medium contributes to the improvement of cellular structure of the plant which allows the plants to withstand high temperature conditions.

• Perlite

Perlite is an inexpensive growing medium retains water in your plants while they are being exposed to air.  Another advantage of perlite is that it can be reused.

• Coconut Coir

Just like with perlite, coconut coir has great water retention property because of its micro sponges and has good aeration characteristic as well.

• Rockwool

When a mixture of different kinds of rocks is melted using a high temperature, a porous material is produced which is known as Rockwool.  Its forms vary from granules to blocks, cubes or slabs.  This growing medium promotes root growth.

Soil is not the only way to capture the nutrients your plants need.  With these medium alternatives, planting with homegrown hydroponics grow box systems is a lot of fun!

Homegrown Hydroponics Grow Box Systems – What is the Best Spectrum Light to Use?

Light is one of the primary requirements of the plants in order to grow.  With the availability of different types of grow light, you’ll probably get confused if you don’t know what to consider.  Check out some basic tips below:

homegrown hydroponics grow box system

• Blue spectrum light

-       Ideal for leafy plants

-       It prevents plants from getting lanky

-       Metal Halide light is the best example of blue spectrum light

-       Provides around 10,000 hours of good light

• Orange-red spectrum light

-       Ideal for flowering plants

-       Enhances flowering by stimulating plant hormones

-       High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light is the most popular type of orange-red spectrum light

-       Provides around 18,000 hours of light

• Combination of Blue and Orange-Red Spectrum Lights

-       Provides great results

-       Makes the plants both compact while flowering

-       These types of lights are costly

-       The distance this combination of lights penetrates is shorter as compared with regular bulb

Although direct sunlight is the perfect source of illumination for plants, there are other sources of light that could meet your plants’ demand. Planting in homegrown hydroponics grow box systems is a no game especially if you really wanted to get expected results; so you better have a good choice which grow light to install that best suits your crops.

Benefits of Homegrown Hydroponics Grow Box Systems over Grow Tents

People’s preferences vary as well when it comes to growing their flora.  So you might ask why some would choose grow box systems other than grow tents.  Take a look at some comparisons below and see what advantage you can get from using grow boxes.

• Grow Tents

Grow tents set up are similar with camping tents that are typically made from plastic material which has polls that stretch it.

hydroponics grow box plan

-         Not installed with lighting system

-         No carbon scrubbers

-         No fans

-         No timers

-         Manual monitoring of temperature

-         For expert hydroponic growers

• Grow Box

-         Completely assembled

-         Installed with ventilation

-         Includes carbon scrubber

-         With timers

-         User friendly

-         Ideal for beginners

There you have them!  It’s obvious why newbies prefer homegrown hydroponics grow box systems over grow tents; with its ready to use set up, you can grow your plants effortlessly and with great results!

Did you become an instant genius with this article?  Then go ahead and share your knowledge with your friends about homegrown hydroponics grow box systems and enjoy the world of planting and growing!

How to Start an Organic Vegetable Garden – Difference of Organic Plants from Conventional Plants

Take a look of the following descriptions to know what are the basic differences of organic plant and conventional plant from one another.

• 

  Steps to start an organic vegetable garden

  Organically-grown plants

-          Have never treated nor applied with chemical pesticides

-          Are not genetically modified

• Conventionally-grown plants

-          Have loads of pesticides or fungicides

-          Loaded with chemical fertilizers

Now that you have distinguished the two ways plants can be grown, you may now proceed on studying how to start an organic vegetable garden and see the results for yourself.

How to Start an Organic Vegetable Garden – 3 Things You Must Be Focused At

Here are the important stuffs you should always bear in mind when it comes to organic vegetable gardening.

• Focus on ENRICHING SOIL.

If you have unhealthy soil, you cannot simply rely on fertilizers to patch up everything for your plants.  Although fertilizers may have some effects on your veggies, you will still be able to see the difference had the plants grew in a rich and healthy soil.  Another benefit you’ll get if you focus on enriching the nutrients in your soil is healthy plants, which have high resistance against pests and disease problems.

• Focus on PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

1. Diseases – One way to prevent diseases is by planting your plants not too close with each other.  Doing so would allow air to circulate in their area and lets your plants breathe.  You may also buy disease-resistant items and plant them.  Above all, you must maintain a clean garden.
2. Pests – Your plants can resist pests if you pay attention on their moisture and other vital preferences.  Also, you should observe your plants on a regular basis especially for some infestation so that you can act on the problem on its early stage.

• Focus on TROUBLE-FREE SOLUTIONS.

If you noticed a pest infestation on an early stage, don’t get freaked out by spraying chemicals immediately.  Remember that water is a universal solvent, it has many uses and one of those is removing unsightly pest from your plants without exposing them to harmful chemicals.  If water does not work, try to consider some do-it-yourself or homemade spray solutions.

Well, those are not so complicated things that the garden owner should be focused at.  Now that you know these items, let’s move to choosing the garden location which is a part of how to start an organic vegetable garden.

How to Start an Organic Vegetable Garden – Choosing Your Garden Location

If you are going to build a garden outside your urban residence, then you better take into considerations some important factors in your preferred location.  Ask yourself the following questions.

• Does the site offers direct sunlight?

Make sure that the site you chose provides your plants with 6-8 hours of sun exposure.  This would help them a lot especially on their growing seasons.  If sunlight is the main ingredient for some plants, there are other crops that can still grow even without too much sunlight, so you need not worry if you have those types of crops.

• How is the land’s condition?

Be sure that the terrain’s condition is not too moistened because this might cause decay in plant roots while they are growing.

• How is the soil’s condition?

Considering the land area is one thing and can be done qualitatively but knowing the soil’s condition is a bit more quantitative in nature.  You may start assessing the soil’s condition by sending samples to local testing laboratory where they can detect the presence or absence of nutrients in it. This way, you’ll be able to identify what kind of soil you have.   Also, you will be able to receive suggestions on how to improve the soil’s characteristics.

• Is the site windy?

Wind is everywhere and although you can’t avoid it, you may still find a location where there’s a hedge or wall to lessen wind’s strength.  But if there’s really none, then you can build your own windbreak structure.

• Is the site accessible to the plant’s needs?

If you don’t want yourself dragging gallons of water to irrigate your plants, then you better be sure that the site you select is accessible to this basic need.

Now that you realized that selecting the best site for your crops comes with responsibility, you’ll have a better interpretation on how to start an organic vegetable garden properly.

How to Start an Organic Vegetable Garden – Why You Should Prefer Organic Gardening

Starting an organic Vegetable garden

People choose one option over the other when they are provided by the advantages they can get from the chosen item.  Just like with organic gardening, you’ll be able to give yourself the following benefits if you opt for organic practices.

• It Saves the Environment

Organic gardening does not include chemicals that can destroy marine life nor pollute any bodies of water.  There are also some organic gardeners who would like to contribute in keeping the wildlife by shifting into organic gardening practices.

• It Saves Your Health

-          Once pesticides are ingested it can be passed from mother to child.

-          Children have high chances of acquiring asthma once exposed in chemical pesticides.

-          Pregnant women may increase miscarriage rates once exposed in pesticides even in low concentrations.

-          Pesticides cause kidney or liver damage.

-          Pesticides cause unsightly birth defects.

• It Saves Money

-          Organic gardening uses compost which you may create from garden wastes which are definitely free while fertilizers are pricey.

-          Insect sprays are expensive while with preventive organic practice you’ll be able to maintain healthy lawn.

-          You may remove wild plant by buying costly sprayer while with organic ways you may simply pour boiling water on them or just dig them out.

Given the benefits you can acquire, you’ll surely get more interested on learning how to start an organic vegetable garden the soonest time possible.

If you can’t wait to share this information about how to start an organic vegetable garden, then go and spread the word to your friends and be welcome to post your comments as well.

Hydroponic Grow System Settings

Once you’ve got familiar with how hydroponic method works, your next interest will probably be how to set up a hydroponic grow system in your residence.  You’re lucky because this article will discuss everything you need which starts from the materials, techniques to choose from, advantage of hydroponic over soil and some safety tips.  These are the essential stuff you should consider on how to set up a hydroponic grow system.

How to Set Up a Hydroponic Grow System: 11 Basic Things You Should Have

Usually whenever we hear the word ‘set up’ we immediately think of the materials or equipments that we must initially have in order to proceed on whatever activity we are planning to do.  True to its meaning, we really need to check for the availability of the following items before we continue in making our own hydroponic system at home.

1. Growing Medium – perlite, pebbles, rockwool, etc.
2. Nutrient mixture/solution – grow and bloom formulas, supplements
3. Tubing
4. Pump
5. Pots
6. Styrofoam
7. Drain system (especially for Ebb and Flow technique)
8. Paint
9. Plant trays
10. Basin or bin (must be water proof, to be used as reservoir)
11. Knife, cutter, scissors (must be done by adults)

Those are the vital materials on how to set up a hydroponic grow system although you might need some depending on which method you desired to select.

How to Set Up a Hydroponic Grow System: Choose Your Method

There are different techniques you can choose from and your decision depends on what type of plants or vegetables you’re trying to grow.  Check which one below best suits you.

• NFT or Nutrient Film Technique

This method is commonly used by small-scale or non-professional hydroponic growers wherein plants are allowed to grow in channels where their nutrient supply flows through.  The thin film of nutrient solution gives moisture to the roots of the plant as it flows.  The basic set up for this technique is that the top part of the plant is maintained moist while the roots are openly exposed to the nutrient solution.

The ideal feeding rate for most NFT channels (also known as gullies) is about 1000mL per minute to keep the moisture in the plant roots.  Usually, a NFT system involves a primary basin wherein the nutrient solution is mixed, rationed through the gullies and gets back again to the primary basin.  These days, there are available automatically adjusted basins that can smoothly maintain the freshness of your plants as long as proper aeration and pH adjustment are applied.

Nutrient Film Technique is best applied for short-term crops such as herbs, lettuce or other leafy crops.  Nowadays, larger NFT gullies are used in a lot of places around the world for long term crops like cucumbers and tomatoes. If you would ask what benefit you can get from using NFT, one obvious advantage is that since the plants are grown in a non-soil environment, the crop is readily clean and washing won’t be required which gains the appreciation of everybody from growers, to grocers, chefs and lastly consumers.

• The Drip System

This method is ideal to use for long term crops.  It also uses drip emitters that delivered the nutrient supply necessary for the plants to grow.  This is done in timed system usually about 10 minutes per hour but may still vary depending on the plant’s stage of development as well as the amount of light supplied.  The drip system gives nutrients, oxygen and water the plants need by flushing the growing medium.

The perlite tray is one method of drip system that is becoming known to use by growers especially for lettuce and herb production.  Its width is about 24 inches, length 10 to 14 feet and set up on a sloped position.  In this method the nutrient solution is constantly dripped in at the higher end of the tray which trickles down through the perlite to the lower end of the tray.  This procedure is also known as the combination of NFT and drip techniques.

• The Ebb and Flow Method

This technique, also known as flood and drain method, just floods a growing area for at least 5 minutes and then the nutrient solution flows away which then be stored in a basin or reservoir that is just beneath the grow table. The Ebb and Flow method uses growing method such as clay pebbles, perlite or rockwool.

• The Float Method

This technique usually uses long and rectangular basin or reservoir which is made of cement or wood and edged with a tough poly liner.  Plants in net pots are put in the holes that are made in foam board so that it floats on the water surface.  That condition allows plant roots to suspend on the nutrient-rich solution.

All of the above stated procedures are the commonly used ones.  Still each one differs from the other making you realize which technique best applies on your situation.  You may further study how to set up a hydroponic grow system depending on what technique you chose.

How to Set Up a Hydroponic Grow System – Why Choose Hydroponic System Over Conventional Soil Planting

• The nutritional value of the vegetable you are trying to produce is increased since you can control the environment where it’s growing.
• This method allows you to grow plants or vegetables regardless of what weather or season it is on the outside environment.
• This technique gives the high efficiency you’re expecting since you can control the amount of light and water that must be supplied on the plants or vegetables.
• It saves a lot of space.
• Produces low to zero number of sick or damaged plants or vegetables.
• Saves a lot of water.
• Plants or vegetables need not be cleaned.

Given the great advantages of hydroponics system over soil, you may be getting more and more interested in knowing how to set up a hydroponic grow system and doing it as soon as possible.

How to Set Up a Hydroponic Grow System – Lighting Safety Tips

• 

  Setting up Hydroponic Grow System

  Opt for digital ballasts and matched power cords.

• Make sure of the wall’s outlet reliability as well as the wiring and circuit boxes.
• Spend your money buying lighting controllers.
• Segregate each electrical stuff like power cords, ballasts and power interfaces.  Make sure they make no contact with water.
• Make sure your hydroponic garden is away from pets and children.

Learning how to set up a hydroponic grow system includes knowing the safety guidelines that must be followed in order to get the best expected results of the procedure.

Got loads of information from this article? Don’t forget to share to your friends your knowledge on how to set up a hydroponic grow system and together you may start your experiment at home!

grow a vegetable garden

How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: The Basics

Thoroughly till your soil. This creates an oxygen/nitrogen rich environment, which allows water to permeate the soil. Mound rows to allow excess moisture to run off from seedlings. Flatten the tops of rows to grow straight stems. Plant the seeds and seedlings far enough apart to keep adult plants from crowding and mulch around the plants with dried leaves, straw or sawdust. Avoid pine mulch because insects and fungus in the mulch which will harm your plants. Choose vegetables, which are indigenous, or native, to your climate or ones you can accommodate with extra fertilizers and water. Irrigate with a trickle or gray water method to ensure adequate moisture. Harvest crops and prune plants regularly to lengthen the growing cycle and increase yield. Fertilize soil as necessary to keep plants healthy and productive. As temperatures begin to drop, shelter your last crops with cloches or cold frames. They will allow you a few extra weeks of harvest after the last frost. These basics are how to grow your vegetable garden.

How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: The Seedlings

Three to six weeks before the final frost, depending on your seeds’ emergence rate, plant seeds of your spring vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, summer squash, beans, potatoes, etc. You may choose a variety of containers to start your seedlings. Short-rooted plants, like peppers and herbs, can be seeded in empty egg cartons with a hole pierced in the bottom of each cup for drainage. Vines can be planted in old laundry detergent cups, which have been washed in the dishwasher. Peat planters are great for tomatoes because when the time comes to transplant, the bottom of the peat pot can be removed and crumbled for additional food. Cull plants one week before the last frost. Seed potatoes and other deep seeded, cold crops can be planted a week before the first frost. Once the ground begins to warm, at least a week after the last frost, tender seedlings can be transplanted to the garden.

How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: Midseason Substitution

More tender plants are spent before the summer is over. When yield begins to wane, choose to start a repeat crop or a replacement crop of seedlings. If you are going to repeat a crop, be sure to move it to another part of the garden. The first crop will have depleted many of the nutrients from the soil. Fall vegetables, like carrots and cabbage, are ready to be planted. If it is still hot (over 90ºF) and will remain hot for another month, seedlings for many fall crops will wither. Consider replanting spring vegetables or late maturing plants, like beets or Brussels sprouts. As the last of the spring vegetables wane, plant early maturing vegetables, like chives and spinach.
You can enjoy fresh vegetables all growing season when you know how to grow a vegetable garden from frost to frost.

Grow Vegetables in Containers

Growing Vegetables in Containers: Choose your Containers

Do not think you are going to be stuck with plastic pots on every window sill and balcony ledge. The only restraints on choosing your containers are the size of your plants and your own imagination. Even if you have a garden, you can decorate by container gardening. Try any of the following containers to give your vegetables (and décor) a little personality:

• Glass or plastic soda bottles
• Plastic or cardboard milk containers
• Decorative vases
• Tea pots or coffee urns
• Fishbowls
• Egg cartons
• Drinking glasses or tea cups
• Ceramic bowls
• Mop, paint or storage buckets
• Cast iron Dutch ovens (not non-stick aluminum)
• Window boxes
• Barrel halves
• Canoe or row boat

If you cannot drill holes in the bottoms of your containers for drainage, fill the bottom with rocks. Use pea gravel for small containers and larger rocks for bigger containers. You do not want the roots to rot from staying too moist. Fill your container with potting soil. Plant your seeds or seedlings.

Growing Vegetables in Containers: Choose your Plants

Roots need room to stretch. If you chose a small container, choose a plant which will be a small adult with shallow roots. Egg cartons are great for herbs like parsley with one seed per cup. If your herb gets too big, you can move it to a washed laundry scoop, soda bottle or drinking glass. Fishbowls are good for larger plants like peppers. Barrels will support vines, if you put up a trellis or cage for your vine to climb. Barrels and boats can be home to many plants. Be sure to plant them far enough apart so the adult plants will not be crowded. Buckets grow terrific tomatoes, eggplants, carrots and parsnips. Plant your spinach in a ceramic bowl.

Growing Vegetables in Containers: Choose your Location

Shed some light on the subject, all plants need light. Make sure your container is in the sunlight, or under artificial light, enough hours each day for your vegetable to survive. Sunny spots beneath windows are great for growing vegetables in containers indoors. Try a window box lined with beets for pretty color. Balconies, staircases, patios and porches make great locations for containers. Line up different colored buckets with broccoli and red cabbage along steps. Place a barrel of cucumbers by a railing or fence where they can climb. Fill a canoe with lines of carrots and parsnips and place it beneath a tree where it will get six to eight hours of sun. Add mint to the boat for sweet-smelling foliage. Plant a few zinnias to attract bees and butterflies for more vegetables. Show off your green thumb with a tea pot of chili peppers surrounded by tea cups of rosemary as a centerpiece under your dining room chandelier.

If you do not have a yard to plant a garden, you can still eat healthy and decorate like a professional by growing vegetables in containers.

Home Vegetable Gardens

About a Home Vegetable Garden

Pick a spot in your yard for your garden. Size depends on how many different types of plants you want to grow. You can plant a ground-level garden or a raised bed garden depending on your landscape, times of frost and the length of time you want to grow your vegetables. Ensure your garden plot will have enough sunlight to support your vegetables. A home vegetable garden will only need one to three plants to feed a family of four. Choose vegetables according to your family’s taste. Flowers and vegetables should be indigenous, or native, to your climate or able to be accommodated with extra fertilizers and water. Perennial flowers are important to your home vegetable garden because they attract healthy insects, like bees and butterflies, while flowers, including marigolds, repel insects you do not want, like aphids. Assemble the tools you will need:

• Tiller or garden rake and shovel
• Hoe
• Spade
• Seeds or seedlings or adult plants
• Fertilizer
• Trickle hose or small, perforated water pipe
• Mulch material

Basics of a Home Vegetable Garden

The best method for preparation is tilling your soil to create an oxygen/nitrogen rich environment which allows water to seep into the soil. If you are going to use a garden rake, be sure to till the soil at least a foot deep. Till in manure, potting soil, river silt or peat if your soil is poor. Mound rows to allow excess moisture to run off from vegetables to prevent root-rot. Flatten the tops of rows encourage straight stem growth. Keep your adult plants from crowding by planting seedlings the proper distance apart. Add mulch around plants with newspapers, dried leaves and/or straw. Avoid pine mulch because insects and fungus in the mulch will harm your vegetables. Irrigate with a trickle or gray-water method to ensure adequate moisture and get the most out of your mulch. Harvest crops and prune plants regularly to lengthen the growing cycle and increase yield. Fertilize soil as necessary to keep plants healthy and productive.

For your Home Vegetable Garden

Once planted, your garden will need a little care every other day. Keep your vegetable garden hydrated. Trickle hoses are the best choice because they do not wash away much soil. If you are unsure how much to water, buy a hydrometer (water meter) from your nursery or DIY center. Fertilize according to your soil conditions. Learn what pH your vegetables prefer to produce the most fruit. Prune dead leaves and spoiled vegetables as soon as you see them. Keep insects off of your plants. Pesticides are a last resort when other natural methods fail. Consult your nursery for advice if you choose to use pesticide. Harvest vegetables as soon as they are ripe. Picking your vegetables before the plant goes to seed keeps it producing. If you have a prodigious plant, you may need to harvest it daily. Success in your home vegetable garden is easy as ABC.

Looking at the empty space in your backyard can lead you to think for more ideas on how to make use of it such as doing gardening vegetables. Actually vegetable gardening is not as complicated as many thought it is. As long as you have planned every steps on

gardening-vegetables

what to take before start doing it. It is just like any plant garden that needs proper care and attention.

Check the Space allocated for Gardening Vegetables

Before you start Gardening Vegetables, you need to come up with a plan for gardening vegetables. It has to be well-organized before doing the hands-on tasks. Starting a vegetable garden doesn’t really require a wider area. Before choosing the kind of vegetables to grow, have a look at the space that you are going to use. There are vegetables that need a lot of space in order to sow the best of it.

If the space is quiet small, do some research on what seeds to grow that will just be appropriate for the available area. Vegetables also vary in their maturity time, so it is better to have a thorough research online about the different tips to consider when gardening vegetables. Or you can even ask experienced farmers for some planting advice.

Soil Preparation for Gardening Vegetables

The success of gardening vegetables also depends on the kind of soil of which the vegetables are being grown. It is necessary that the soil is drained well, has the capability to retain moisture, and has adequate amount of organic matter and absence of stones. There are different ways that can be used to make the soil fertile and improve production. One of which is the use of lime, materials that can enhance the quality of the soil, organic matter or commercial fertilizers.

Do not plow wet soils to prevent it from having a cake-like structure when it dries because it won’t be helpful for planting purposes. It is just fine to use commercial fertilizers but avoid it much as possible for it can destroy your plants. Instead, use composted animal manure. Test the amount of acid or alkaline of soil by using a PH test kit. There are vegetables that won’t grow well in an acid soil or alkalized one.

Planting and Sowing Gardening Vegetables

Draw a sketch of how your vegetable garden will look like. Mark where the different rows must be made and what kind of vegetables to plant in every row. Put up fences or lattice for climbing vegetables like beans. Make stacks that you will use for vines such as melons, pumpkins and cucumbers.

Determine how deep the seeds should be planted as well as the required gap which varies according to the type of vegetables. Plants that do not have enough space that they need, will not grow as healthy as you expected them to be. Also, do not forget to put pathways to avoid anyone from stepping on your plants even while watering and most especially when you are harvesting your products. Yes, in gardening vegetables, the most excited part is the harvesting time.

With these tips, gardening vegetables won’t be hard and complicated contrary to what most people thought about it.