To me, there is nothing more satisfying than planting and growing my own vegetables. I love to plan dinners around what I have ready to harvest in the garden.
Certainly equal, and possibly better is eating those garden fresh vegetables during the middle of winter when there isn’t anything green or fresh in site. Canning, freezing, and dehydrating are all ways to preserve your abundance of vegetables when they are fresh and perfectly ripe from the garden. These summer treasures then become a delight to your palate on a cold day in February.
I love to grow vegetables starting in the early spring with peas, radishes, and lettuce. Then summer brings the ability to grow great vegetables such as corn, peppers, and of course tomatoes. Fall is actually better for some crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots that can turn bitter in the heat of summer.
You will need to know your average last frost date in the spring and your average first frost date in the fall to grow vegetables as most cannot withstand even a mild frost. You can use these frost dates for your area to plan your planting and harvesting schedule.
You’ll want to wait until after your last average frost date to set out your vegetable plants and pay attention to the amount of days that particular variety will take to mature and start producing. There is nothing more frustrating than lovingly tending your vegetable plants all summer to have a hard frost come right when your peppers are just starting to take shape and tomatoes are coming on the vine.
Keep in mind most vegetables like lots of sun; at least 6 hours or more of full sun everyday. Vegetables also need adequate water to grow and produce fruit well; approximately 1 inch per week for most vegetables.
Is there anything more desired than the first juicy red-ripe tomato of the season? I seriously doubt it! Do yourself a favor and plant at least one tomato plant this year, even if it’s just in a container or raised bed.
You’ll be oh so glad you did when you take that first bite and taste what a real tomato, freshly picked from the garden, taste like. Believe me when I say all’s it takes is just one bite and you’ll never want another bland, tasteless grocery store tomato again! Yes, that perfect, red, ripe tomato to the right is one that I grew in my garden. You too can grow great tomatoes like this with just a little effort and patience!
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