Vegetables

Growing your own fresh vegetables can be the most rewarding type of gardening. The satisfaction you feel when you cook your home grown vegetables is immense adding to the health factor that one is sure that they are chemical free.

When you think of a vegetable garden, you may feel that you need to have a big yard for growing them. Even though a big yard has its advantages, some of the vegetables can be grown entirely in pots or in raised compact beds on terraces or planter boxes to get maximum yield from the smallest amount of space.

Most garden vegetables do best on fertile, well-drained soil that are slightly acid to neutral (6.0 to 7.0) and provided with proper nutrients. The fertility of the soil should be maintained by proper cultivation, use of organic matter and control of pests.

Organic matter helps release nitrogen, minerals and other nutrients for plant use when it decays. Any plant material can be composted for use in the garden and the composting material should be kept moist and supplied with fertilizers.

Most plants do well in direct sunlight. Leafy vegetables can be grown in partial shade but vegetables producing fruit must be grown in direct sunlight. Plants should be grouped and planted according to its size, time of maturity etc. so that one group don't hinder the growth of the other.

Tall growing plants should be planted where they will not shade or interfere with the growth of smaller ones. Early-maturing crops may be grouped so that as soon as one rop is removed, another can be planted. But it is not always necessary to wait until the early crop is entirely removed; a later one may be planted between the rows of the early crop. Here are some vegetables you can easily grow in your garden.