Starting A Vegetable Garden

The first step to a successful vegetable garden is to choose the right location. That means finding a site that gets plenty of sun, ideally six to eight hours a day.

Vegetables also prefer a well-draining soil. This can be improved with compost, well-rotted manure or organic matter.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – April is National Gardening Month, and University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein is encouraging people to get started on their gardens as soon as possible. Spring is officially here, and with the weather warming up now is the perfect time to get your garden started.

National Gardening Month History

In the April of 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation that the week beginning April 13, 1986, was National Gardening Week. The proclamation stated: “All gardeners know the innumerable benefits that gardening brings to people and their communities, and this is a month where we can spread that message to those who aren’t directly involved.” National Gardening Week was observed up until 2002 when The National Gardening Association went on to extend this celebration to the entire month of April.

Benefits of Gardening

There are countless benefits of gardening that make the journey well worth the prize. For those who are still debating on if they should have a garden, consider the following benefits of this popular pastime.

Economic. Vegetable gardening is an excellent way to save on the family food bill. The National Gardening Association (NGA) estimates that a well-maintained vegetable garden yields an average return of $500 per year.

Trinklein adds that you don’t have to spend hundreds on a raised bed filled with an artificial growing medium to benefit economically from gardening. A recent study by Burpee Seed Co. revealed that $50 spent on gardening supplies can be converted into $1,250 worth of produce annually. This twentyfold return on investment also was documented by a national survey conducted several years ago.

Health. The average gardener burns between 300 and 400 calories per hour while gardening. One would have to walk about 4 miles at a fairly brisk pace to use up the same number of calories. Also, research has shown that gardening reduces stress that can lead to health problems of various types, Trinklein said.

Gardening is good for one’s health by offering nutritional benefits as well. “The availability of fresh, inexpensive produce from the family garden is conducive to maintaining good dietary habits and, at times, forces greater vegetable consumption,” Trinklein said. “It has been documented that children are much more likely to consume vegetables they grew themselves than those purchased from a supermarket.”

Environmental. Gardens benefit our planet in many ways. One way is that they help to reduce soil erosion by slowing rainfall runoff and allowing it to infiltrate more slowly into the ground. Additionally, gardens tend to serve as a food source and gathering place for many types of wildlife such as butterflies and birds.

Educational. Gardening is a learning experience since every year provides different challenges to solve. Gardening can encourage children and adults alike to be more curious about their surroundings and nature. “It is a great way to teach youngsters the joy that can come from work and that positive results are not always instantaneous in life,” Trinklein said.

Gardening Tips

The Missouri Department of Conservation is hosting a native plants sale on April 15 at MDC’s Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City. Six vendors that specialize in nursery sales of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees will be at the Discovery Center. Besides the availability of plants for purchase, buyers will have a chance to talk with experts about what will work well for their home landscaping plans. Native plants are adapted to the region’s climate and soils. They also benefit songbirds and pollinators such as bees and butterflies far more than non-native species.

The National Gardening Association is also dedicated to helping educate people on every skill level to dig deeper and grow their knowledge of gardening by establishing the Learning Garden. This resource provides online courses for those wanting to expand their knowledge on the science of gardening.

In honor of National Gardening Month, The University of Missouri has also published a guide full of advice for those who has an interest in learning more about gardening.

According to Trinklein, gardens and gardening remind us of everything that is good about life – the beauty of nature, the feeling of pride and sense of accomplishment for having done something productive and the realization that our efforts are helping to improve ourselves, our society, and our environment. “For those of you who are gardeners, best wishes for the upcoming growing season – relish it while it lasts,” Trinklein said. “For those of you who are not, there is no time like the present to start.”

Source: kmzu.com