Now that food prices are on the rise, the ongoing spring-summer season provides us a good opportunity to grow some vegetable and fruit gardens in our yards.
When I attended elementary school in Nicaragua, children were taught how they could grow tomatoes, peppers, herbs, watermelon, cantaloupes and other edible plants. The wonderful outcome was that each year, each school got its crops, which were then divided among the children and sold at cheaper prices in the community to fund the schools.
We called them "huertos escolares," or school vegetable gardens. There were also “huertos familiars” (family vegetable gardens), which, of course, provided fresh vegetables for each family. Family vegetable gardens are a feasible option for families here. Take into account that in poor countries, such as those in Central America, many families do not have access to the number of gardening supplies available in the United States.
To start a family vegetable garden, all you need is a bit of space in your yard, a shovel, a pickax and, of course, enthusiasm. You must also decide whether you want to plant a ground-level or a raised-bed vegetable garden. My father was a vegetable garden grower, and he said the ground level is the cheapest and easiest to grow, since all you need to do is plow up the area you have elected to turn into a vegetable garden.
You will also need to remove the grass, which involves a little hard work to get the soil out of the clumps of grass. Dig about two feet deep to loosen the compacted soil. My mother, who was a devoted flower-herb gardener, recommended that any type of garden must also be watered often and cleared even of the little dry leaves to keep them developing strongly. Taking care of your garden, she said, is like caring for one of your children.
Because of that, a vegetable garden also needs to be protected with a grass barrier to prevent weeds from invading the garden area. According to many garden experts, the Bermuda variety is suitable to build a grass barrier. It needs to be planted to a depth of eight inches around the garden.
Another thing a vegetable gardener must do is leave a small pathway around the area, so when you pick your family crop, you can do it more comfortably without tromping and causing damage to the plants. Now, be aware that vegetable gardens demand sunlight, some irrigation and additional nutrients.
Along with the enjoyment of growing your own vegetable garden, it produces rewarding benefits, including a healthier lifestyle. For example, 45 minutes or an hour working in your yard will engage you in healthy activity. It's also relaxing to be exposed to nature and all the other tiny worlds that occur around us but we do not often notice, like the songs of birds as they fly among the trees.
Another healthy reward is when you grow a family vegetable garden, you get organic produce. According to many nutrition pundits, organically grown food often tastes better, contains more vitamin C, more trace minerals and higher nutritional content.
Finally, a vegetable garden will save you money and guarantee you fresh food that isn't chemically treated to endure the long trips necessary to reach your table.
This spring and summer, I would like to encourage you to grow your own vegetable garden and support your local farmer's market, which opens in June in downtown Dodge City.
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Now that food prices are on the rise, the ongoing spring-summer season provides us a good opportunity to grow some vegetable and fruit gardens in our yards.
When I attended elementary school in Nicaragua, children were taught how they could grow tomatoes, peppers, herbs, watermelon, cantaloupes and other edible plants. The wonderful outcome was that each year, each school got its crops, which were then divided among the children and sold at cheaper prices in the community to fund the schools.
We called them "huertos escolares," or school vegetable gardens. There were also “huertos familiars” (family vegetable gardens), which, of course, provided fresh vegetables for each family. Family vegetable gardens are a feasible option for families here. Take into account that in poor countries, such as those in Central America, many families do not have access to the number of gardening supplies available in the United States.
To start a family vegetable garden, all you need is a bit of space in your yard, a shovel, a pickax and, of course, enthusiasm. You must also decide whether you want to plant a ground-level or a raised-bed vegetable garden. My father was a vegetable garden grower, and he said the ground level is the cheapest and easiest to grow, since all you need to do is plow up the area you have elected to turn into a vegetable garden.
You will also need to remove the grass, which involves a little hard work to get the soil out of the clumps of grass. Dig about two feet deep to loosen the compacted soil. My mother, who was a devoted flower-herb gardener, recommended that any type of garden must also be watered often and cleared even of the little dry leaves to keep them developing strongly. Taking care of your garden, she said, is like caring for one of your children.
Because of that, a vegetable garden also needs to be protected with a grass barrier to prevent weeds from invading the garden area. According to many garden experts, the Bermuda variety is suitable to build a grass barrier. It needs to be planted to a depth of eight inches around the garden.
Another thing a vegetable gardener must do is leave a small pathway around the area, so when you pick your family crop, you can do it more comfortably without tromping and causing damage to the plants. Now, be aware that vegetable gardens demand sunlight, some irrigation and additional nutrients.
Along with the enjoyment of growing your own vegetable garden, it produces rewarding benefits, including a healthier lifestyle. For example, 45 minutes or an hour working in your yard will engage you in healthy activity. It's also relaxing to be exposed to nature and all the other tiny worlds that occur around us but we do not often notice, like the songs of birds as they fly among the trees.
Another healthy reward is when you grow a family vegetable garden, you get organic produce. According to many nutrition pundits, organically grown food often tastes better, contains more vitamin C, more trace minerals and higher nutritional content.
Finally, a vegetable garden will save you money and guarantee you fresh food that isn't chemically treated to endure the long trips necessary to reach your table.
This spring and summer, I would like to encourage you to grow your own vegetable garden and support your local farmer's market, which opens in June in downtown Dodge City.
