Tips for getting started in the world of urban gardening
Sergey Savin Getting started isn't always easy, so we've put together 10 tips to help you get into urban gardening. Beginners can get frustrated at first for various reasons, the main ones being the difficulty of growing plants as they hoped or the arrival of troublesome pests that could damage their crops. In this article, we'll offer some advice to help you succeed with your next urban gardening project, whether it's on your terrace, patio, or even in your living room.
Our advice is to start with fast-growing, pest-resistant crops like leafy greens, lettuce, or radish root. Tomatoes are another great option; this fruit pairs perfectly with lettuce and is also great for making jam. Tomatoes are a must-have, both for their nutritional benefits and ease of cultivation. We also recommend Padrón peppers, although their flavor may appeal to more discerning palates, their nutritional benefits are outstanding. With these three plants, you should have more than enough to get started and create 100% nutritious and organic recipes.
As we know, there's nothing better than homemade food, especially when it comes directly from our own garden. Being organic, its texture and flavor are completely different from what many are used to. The tomatoes have a strong, juicy taste, and the lettuce has a texture and flavor far superior to conventional produce. In short, there's nothing better than growing your own vegetables!
2. SEASONAL PLANT
If you want your garden to be successful, it's essential to understand the local conditions, as this is one of the most important factors for your vegetable patch and will determine what you can plant and when. For example, if you live in a northern region where winter temperatures are quite low, it's advisable to plant crops that are acclimatized to that climate and short-season varieties. In southern Spain, with its warmer climate, seasonal vegetables can be planted much earlier than in colder northern areas. Our advice is to ask local gardeners or visit community gardens to learn what to sow each season.
For example, continuing with the tomato: It needs a temperature of about 20 to 35 ºC, so it is advisable to start planting it in spring after the last frost.
3. PLANT WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT
At the beginning, we recommend planting whatever you like best, as this will make caring for your container garden much easier. If you enjoy leafy greens, it's very comforting to know that in a few weeks we'll be able to enjoy them on our table, and most importantly: grown by ourselves.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO THE LIVING SPACE OF EACH FLOOR
Many farmers prioritize maximizing space by reducing the distance between seeds. This sometimes results in plants not having enough room to develop properly. Each plant needs sufficient space, both in depth and height, which must be respected for its healthy growth. Furthermore, one of the most important factors is that each plant also has the necessary light and sufficient depth to expand its roots, preventing competition between them. The Raised Bed is 20cm deep, the minimum for the vast majority of vegetables. For fruit trees or deep-rooted plants, the Growing Module is designed with a depth of 50cm and the same internal drainage system .
5. USE PADDING
Highly recommended! Weeds can be a real frustration for us urban gardeners, as they grow quickly and can steal nutrients from our herbaceous plants. Instead of having to remove them adventitious manually, applying a good layer of padding or Mulch ( e.g., dry leaves, straw) directly prevents unwanted seeds that may have landed in our soil from germinating.
That said, weeds shouldn't be thrown away! You might wonder, "Why?" Once cut, we recommend placing the weeds on the soil you're cultivating, as they provide numerous benefits, such as moisture retention, reduced erosion, and the addition of nutrients through their decomposition on the surface over the medium term. In the English-speaking world, this technique is known as weed mulching. chop and drop .
6. KEEP A GARDEN DIARY
In our opinion, we shouldn't rely on our memory and it's advisable to make a sketch of our urban garden. It's as simple as drawing the outline of our containers and dividing it into several sections, so we can keep track of what we've planted in each section each season.
It is also important to have a list of pests that affected us and which natural treatments were effective and which were not (such as the use of ash to protect ourselves from snails, something we will talk about later in the blog).
In addition, it's also a very good idea to label each plant in our module, so we know which seeds we've placed in each hole, since some seeds take a long time to germinate and we might forget what we've planted.
7. GET TO KNOW YOUR PLANTS
There's nothing like watching your plants grow, nurturing a tomato seed until the first sprout appears. Therefore, to avoid making a serious mistake, we must familiarize ourselves with the appearance of the plants we sow so we don't pull them up thinking they are weeds. Get to know them!
If you are not familiar with it, you can also see what each variety looks like in its early stages at local nurseries that sell already germinated seedlings.
8. REPAIR THE FLOOR
Healthy soil makes healthy plants, and each year we must provide it with the nutrients our crop will need through 100% payments natural . There are several products we can add to the soil, such as cured manure (whenever possible), compost either Worm castings . At the end of each season, if we don't plan to use the space in question, we can plant a cover crop, which will provide us with green manure for the following year.
9. Flowers?
Flowers are a very important point to consider, since attracting pollinators like bees, hoverflies, wasps, etc., is very helpful if we want our plants to produce vegetables or fruit. For this, we need flowers; it's always good to have some daisies, which tend to be quite resilient.
10. WATER ONLY AS NECESSARY
As we know, water is essential for life, but too much can harm our crops. We recommend using it in moderation; neither under-watering, as plants won't grow and produce, nor over-watering, as this can drown the roots and cause disease. If it hasn't rained, it's advisable to do a deep watering once a week and then water lightly every other day for the rest of the week.
It's advisable to water plants in the morning or evening to avoid sudden temperature changes, which can cause stress and damage to the fruit. It's important to water the plants from the base and not from above, Avoid getting the leaves wet, as this prevents various types of fungi.
Our mission is to accelerate the transition to sustainability in cities through urban gardens. We are a group of experts in agroecology and a network of volunteers throughout Andalusia. We provide professional services and lead environmental awareness activities.
https://www.urbangreenclub.com
