Choose, Grow, Harvest

Deciding which edibles to grow is not as easy as it may seem.  

Before you put the shovel in the ground, and before you go to the seed and garden store, there are many considerations and decisions to be made.

• Which garden vegetables do you and your family love eating?

• Which are most economical to grow?

• Do you have a garden site with all day sun? Afternoon shade?

• How long is your growing season? Which edibles will reach harvest before the growing season is over in your zone?

• What is the soil like in your region?

• Will you eat fresh, or will you preserve?

There really are quite a few decisions to make when you decide to grow food.  But you don't have to make them all at once.  Start with a garden plot small enough to allow you to properly prepare the soil.  Then pick just a couple of your favorite foods to start with, ideally something relatively easy to grow.  But if you start small you will be able to focus on the needs of just a couple of plant types.  Your local garden center will typically carry the most reliable edibles for your area.  Staff should also be able to give you some guidance about the soil in your area and which plant types will do best.