Gardening Tips
From choosing the location of your garden and planting the seeds, to harvesting your vegetables and bringing them to the dinner table, you will find enjoyment and satisfaction every step of the way. Even a simple garden can yield a variety of delicious vegetables, from the most popular found at local grocery stores, to the rarest varieties only found in specialty markets. After you've experienced the taste of your own fresh, vine-ripe produce, it's unlikely that you'll ever forego another growing season. Healthy, nutritious, mood-lifting, do-it-yourself satisfaction - you can get it all from the convenience of your home and we're here to help you every step of the way.
Plan Accordingly: Cool vs. Warm-Season Vegetables
You can maximize your gardening space by choosing the right mix of warm-season and cool-season vegetables. Warm-season vegetables will not tolerate freezing weather. Warm-season crops can be categorized as tender and very tender vegetables. Tender crops don't like frost, but can handle cool nighttime temperatures.
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Home gardening isn't just for those with access to large plots of land. If you're short on space, but still want all the advantages of growing your own fresh vegetables, container gardening is for you. The only limits are the size of your container and your imagination. Vegetables that take up little space, such as carrots, radishes and lettuce, or crops that bear fruits over a long period of time, such as tomatoes and peppers, are perfect for container vegetable gardens. The experts at Southern States® can help you decide which will work best for your situation.
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Cool-season vegetables thrive in cooler weather, and will tolerate light frost, but not deep winter. They can be categorized as hardy and halfhardy. Half-hardy, cool-season vegetables can withstand cool temperatures and light frosts, but won't survive hard freezes and frosts.
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 Choose the right garden soil. Sandy loam is generally the best type of soil to grow crops with; it's the type that crumbles like cake when you fist up a sample (about the size of a baseball) in your hand. To achieve maximum results for your vegetables, your garden needs to be tilled to uncover the fresh soil
below. Bring us a sample of your soil and we'll also help you pick the correct Southern States fertilizer for growing healthy vegetables.
Allow for proper sunlight—at least 5 hours of direct sunlight daily.
Proper garden watering with a drip system. This discourages fungal growth and allows for maximum irrigation and root growth.
Protect against various vulnerabilities:
• Wildlife—insects, rabbits, mice, deer, etc.—are notorious for helping themselves to vegetable gardens.
• Rain, drought, wind and so forth can all affect your crops. Be sure to position your garden for good drainage and maximum use of natural wind barriers.
Starting and maintaining your own garden is easy and fun. With Southern States®, you'll have everything you need to enjoy fresh produce from your own garden.
When To Plant >>
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