Previously posted “It’s a really great time to be an urban farmer”
It’s that time of the year again. School is out which means the kids are home, it’s sunny outside and you’re in a festive spirit. Summer is the perfect time to stay active and healthy. If you’re not spending all day on the beach or traveling this summer; creating a window garden may be the perfect activity for family and friends to enjoy. A garden allows you to stay active, eat healthy and have fun all in little time. For those of us who live in a city, a backyard garden may not be possible, but a window garden box is. Deciding the size of your garden and the type of fruits or vegetables you plan to grow are some things to think about before starting. Popular vegetables to grow in the summer are; squash, corn, eggplant, cucumbers and tomatoes. Below are four easy steps from This Old House on how to create your own vegetable garden.
STEP 1
You can build your own garden box or buy a garden box from the nearest plant shop or department stores. If you were interested in building your own garden box, you should visit http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/how-to-build/how-to-build-window-treatments3.htm for detailed steps on building your window garden box.
STEP 2
After you’ve decided on your box, the next step is to prepare the soil. Soil preparation plays an important role in whether your vegetable garden will survive or not. There are three types of soil that you need to be familiar with; sand, clay and silt. Sandy soil is loose and helps the roots of plants breathe because it lets the air pass through easily. Clay soil absorbs water faster and keeps it inside longer, a soil composition that has more clay particles in it would be ideal for places that are too hot and the soil dries up quickly. Silt is a fine mixture of sand and clay particles. Digging up soil anywhere in the city to use for your window garden may be illegal, so your best bet may be to buy soil from your nearest gardening store or a home improvement store. When prepping the soil for your window garden box you should dig up the soil and loosen it up to remove the lumps. Take out any rocks, roots, and weeds while you’re at it.
STEP 3
Fill the bed with a mixture of soil and compost. Level out the soil and continue filling until it is 2 to 3 inches from the top of the frame of the box.
Note: You can use vermicompost, with the red wriggler earthworms. Vermicomposting is 100% organic, it is the process of having red worms and other decomposer organisms process our organic waste and turn it into a great natural fertilizer .
STEP 4
Once the bed is planted, water it thoroughly. Then cover the soil with about an inch of mulch. After you have prepared the garden box and soil, you should decide on the type of vegetables you want to plant. Keep in mind, some vegetables won’t survive next to other vegetables because they need their space to grow.
A window vegetable garden is a fun and rewarding activity for both you and the people involved. It allows you to teach kids where fresh food comes from and it inspires them to have healthier eating habits.
BE IN CHARGE WITH WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE!!!!
