Gardening Sustainability

With spring knocking on our door, it’s time to begin planning a summer garden. I’ve talked a lot about wild game meats, but I wanted to shift the focus. With a freezer full of delicious wild game meat and deer season well behind us, it’s time to start thinking about those yummy veggies and starches to go with it. Along with hunting as a kid, I cannot remember a year that we didn’t have a garden. Back then, it definitely didn’t have the significance and value to me as it does today. It just meant picking up rocks and raking out dirt for what seemed like forever. Today however, It’s far more than just hard work. And it doesn’t even have to be hard work. It’s all about knowing what you're eating, having high quality food to feed your family, to be as sustainable and self-supporting as possible and a sense of accomplishment knowing you do not have to rely on a supermarket full of marginal products to survive. With just a little leg work and sorting out what will work best for you, all of those things can be accomplished. There are many different routes one can go about growing a garden. First it is good to figure out how much space you have and where you will have your garden. Another important factor is to evaluate how much direct sunlight your available garden area receives in a day's time as well as what time of day it gets the sunlight. You want to make sure what you are intending to grow gets enough sunlight but also isn’t going to get scorched in the hot summer months. Knowing these two key factors will help you determine if it’s best to do raised stationary beds, an in-ground garden or portable pots or buckets that can be moved to follow the sunlight. It is also important to know what zone you are in for the last frost date. There are many different resources online that will tell you what that date is. Planting date is also something to keep in mind. This will vary based on what it is you intend to grow, that plant's basic needs and the length it takes for the plant to fully mature. I find it helps to make a list of the things I want to grow and then make a diagram of my gardening area, mapping out what will go where and the date it will be planted. Most seed banks and nurseries will have information regarding the planting dates along the length to maturity of what you plant. There are many very reputable seed banks out there that have loads to choose from. Once you have planned everything out, it’s time to begin getting the garden ready for planting. Regardless of what your choice of growing method is, good quality soil is a must. Whether you are doing raised beds, pots or an in-ground garden, you want to make sure and supply your plants with the correct nutrients they need to thrive. I prefer to use a pre-bought mix in my raised beds I built out of landscaping timbers. After planting, make sure to know a plant's need for water. Some need lots of water and some only a small amount. It is possible to overwater plants, so I like to include water needed for each item I grow on my diagram or garden journal. Once all of the leg work is complete and all your seeds have been planted, it’s time to start counting down the days to fresh and delicious produce! Whether you go big or small, it will be very rewarding once you begin to harvest the fruits (and veggies lol) of your labors! If you have never tried your hand at gardening your own produce, I strongly encourage it! You will be happy you did!

As always, please reach out with any thoughts, comments or suggestions!
God Bless!
EC
epicchef424@gmail.com