{"id":7499,"date":"2017-06-11T11:49:18","date_gmt":"2017-06-11T15:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/?p=7499"},"modified":"2023-12-03T13:54:11","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T17:54:11","slug":"low-maintenance-vegetable-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/growagoodlife.com\/low-maintenance-vegetable-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips for a Low-Maintenance Vegetable Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you want to grow your own food, but worry that you don’t have time to tend to a garden? These tips will help you plan a low-maintenance vegetable garden that will reward you with fresh food throughout the garden season.<\/p>\n

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There are many benefits of growing your own food, including amazing flavor and nutrition, avoiding pesticides and chemicals, and saving money at the grocery store. If you are not convinced, read 10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food<\/a> for more encouragement.<\/p>\n

Many people would love to grow their own vegetables. Unfortunately, life is busy for most of us. Getting started is daunting, and many worry about adding one more thing to their routine.<\/p>\n

How to Plan a Low-Maintenance Vegetable Garden<\/h2>\n

Even on a small scale, growing your own food is enjoyable and rewarding. It is better than printing money because the direct return for your efforts is putting fresh, healthy, and delicious food on your table.\u00a0If you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the garden, these tips will help you grow a low-maintenance vegetable garden:<\/p>\n\n

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1. Start Small<\/h3>\n

It’s very easy to think big in the spring and then find that you can’t keep up. This can lead to frustration and the urge to give up on your garden. Don’t dig up your whole backyard and plant a large garden if you don’t have the time to water, weed, and harvest.<\/p>\n

Gardening can be an enjoyable and rewarding hobby if you plan it right. Begin a smaller-scale garden instead of a large one. You can always expand in the future. Plus it is easier to learn about your unique growing area and how to care for your garden on a smaller scale.<\/p>\n

2. Grow Only the Foods You Will Eat<\/h3>\n

There is no reason to put the energy into growing a crop if no one eats it. Consider growing vegetables based on what you and your family like to eat. When you purchase produce from the grocery store or farmers’ market, what to you pick up week after week?<\/p>\n

If you love salads, then tomatoes, greens, and lettuce would be obvious choices to grow in your garden. If you enjoy fresh salsa, then peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cilantro should be on your list.<\/p>\n

Love fresh salsa?<\/strong> See How to Grow a Salsa Garden<\/a><\/p>\n

Vegetable gardening is fulfilling when you are rewarded with foods that you enjoy.<\/p>\n

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3. Build a Raised Bed or Square Foot Garden<\/h3>\n

Raised-bed gardening is a great way to grow vegetables. You don’t have to worry about digging a garden because the raised beds are placed on top of the ground.<\/p>\n

The square foot garden concept is a quick and organized way to get a garden started. You simply build a raised bed out of 2 x 6 inch boards, layer cardboard on the grass, fill the bed with a growing mix, and plant right away using the charts in the book.<\/p>\n

Since you begin with fresh, nutrient-rich soil, you often don’t have to worry much about weeds for the first few years. Growing in raised beds with healthy soil also allows you to plant closer, which helps shade the soil preventing moisture loss.<\/p>\n