I put the ‘green’ in green thumb, literally.

This is my second year growing my own personal vegetable garden.  Seems to be going well so far, at least this year is! 

I was looking for a better way to save and become more self-sustainable living in the city.  Sometimes you feel it just can’t be done.  Well, I say forget that notion.  I successfully accomplished a full healthy garden with very limited space.  There has been a lot of research involved however, and much trial and error.  I can now definitely say I have learned a lot over the past year installing and growing my own gardens.

This second year is looking better than my first go around agriculturally speaking.  Especially during these hot summer months where plants seem desiccate during the heat and the insects that come in droves.  However, there are special tips I’ve discovered to have a fruitful garden this year and many more to follow.   It takes patients for sure, but well worth all the hard work in the end.  There is nothing better than enjoying the fruits of your labor, especially when you know they taste so great!

First off, I don’t have a lot of space to plant my garden, but I made the most out of what has been provided.  I live in a small apartment community that has nothing short of gravel and sand that surrounds the exterior.   This is where a little bit of ingenuity can go a long way.

Using cinder blocks is a great way to build your garden above ground with less hassle of seasonal tilling.  It is appropriate for our sandy ground here in Florida that is less likely to produce anything desirable.  When it comes to our torrential rains this is sure fire way to protect your harvest from floods and over saturation.

You can make your own selection of cinder blocks from your local home improvement stores.  The cost is reasonably inexpensive at 1.00 – 1.39 per block.  It’s up to you how big you want to make your garden, but please take in account the types of plants you plan to grow.  After the catastrophe of my garden last year, I decided it was time for a little re-arranging of my cinder blocks to provide the appropriate drainage and nutrients for the specific crops I chose, causing much less effort for additives and organic pesticides.  With limited space I was able to produce healthy plants and am already seeing less infestation.

Rearranging the garden to create cinder blocks into pods allowed the different types of plants to grow accordingly in their own environments.  This reduced the harm and depletion of nutrients from the soil that specific crops need to continue to grow and produce fruit.  It is best not to cross contaminate, say tomatoes with your squashes.  Tomatoes can be harmful to other plants growth depleting the necessary nutrients your squash plants may need and alike.

If you ever planted your own garden you are well aware of the pests that come along with it.  Pest can eat our plants alive, but there are several steps that can be done to prevent these intruders from getting our fruits before we do, allowing your plants to flourish all season long.  Take a look below after appropriate arrangement of your garden:

Invasion Protection:

• Wood Charcoal – Place charcoal down in your pod first, before adding soil as a lining.  Mix a small amount of your wood charcoal in with the soil.  This will help to remove pollutants from the soil and provides essential nutrients for a healthier garden.  This as well helps as a deterrent from specific pests.
• Flowers – Planting flowers like marigolds, petunias and geraniums will keep the aphids from destroying your plants.
• Herbs – Using herbs like lavender, basil and chervil doesn’t only provide a great scent but keeps the aphids from reaching your plants foliage, as well other pesky insects.  Planting spearmint and peppermint will attract beneficial insects to your garden and deflect those nuisances.

The cinder blocks allow for great drainage of your garden pods. This is why I highly recommend this method, but you also want to consider the depth and risks of the lower ground becoming too saturated.  You always want to ensure appropriate drainage.

Drainage:

• Rocks – Using rocks mixed with the charcoal in your pods first lining is the best solution for keeping excellent drainage directly below the plants. 
• Cinder Block – using this method is beneficial for overflow to seep from the pods edge into the block and allow for your soil to stay put.

Now that you have your gardens built and ready for your crops, it’s always good to see what plants grow best in your region as well the current season.  Let’s take a look at some great summer crops here in Florida. 

Lima Beans

Eggplant

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Peppers

Cucumbers

Corn

Blueberries

After planting our crops we are going to want to maintain a strong healthy environment for their individual needs.  Continue to follow along to ensure your garden is living up to its full potential.  If you have not created your summer garden you can always get started today by visiting your local home improvement stores, as they replenish their summer crops weekly!

I hope you find the above information useful when creating your very own vegetable gardens this Year or in the years to come.  For more information and tips feel free to continue to follow along at www.DecorHunt.com.