Growing a Frugal Garden
This is a post by a guest Author, Anjelica.
Fruits and vegetables are easy to grow: Part one
So you want to grow a frugal garden? I have a surprise for you! It's EASY! If a plant assassin like me can do it, so can you! Reading this blog will help you survive the worst zombie apocalypse or famine! So let's not waste any time getting into it...
Step one: Visit farmer's markets
This is the easy step but also super important step. You don't want Monsanto foods coming to rob you of your hard work. Not to mention we don't want to give them anymore of our dollars. So, go to a farmer's market. You can usually find one online by searching Google Maps. If you can't find one, search "family farms". Sometimes there is a nursery that has fruit and veggies too. If all else fails and you just can't find any farmers markets, go to the grocery store and buy organic.
Okay now that we know where to go, we need to know what to buy! If you're not allergic, you'll want to buy a red potato and one onion. No need to go crazy buying tons of fruits and veggies! You'll want to first learn your green thumb strengths and weaknesses and starting small is better than failing big. Trust me.
Step two: Wait
This is the hard part. I hate waiting. I put the potato in a cupboard and left them for about two week and the onion on the window by the sink. Every evening when I washed dishes, I would put water on a plate and set the onion on the dish. When the dishes were done I put the onion back in the window. After about a week, the onion started to grow green sprouts. That's when I knew that my potato was also ready.
Step three: Plant
I got two medium pots (about 3-4 gallon sized) filled them with soil and a few bags rocks from the dollar tree for proper drainage. (Rocks on the bottom soil on top) MAKE SURE THE POTS HAVE A DRAINAGE HOLE(S)!!! Sorry about the shouting. I forgot this step when I first started out and lost my tomato plant right before it began to bear fruit. 😠Flashback!!!ðŸ˜
Okay back to the planting... I added the potato to one pot and covered it with soil and did the same for the onion. I watered them sparingly, a couple tablespoons once every two days. When the potatoes started to grow leaves I knew it was time to move the plants outside.
Step four: Pest and Maintenance
You may notice from time to time some ugly, white fuzzy fungus looking substance on your plants leaves and stems. If you see this, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! Just kidding. These are called mealy worms they are harmless to humans, (I've never been bitten by one) but can be deadly to plants. You are going to want to get rid of them ASAP because they will drain the life from your plants. (Veggie zombie apocalypse!) I'm sure you want to keep in line with frugality and lucky for you, I can teach you that too! All you'll need is a spray attachment on a hose or a spray bottle filled with water. Then, simply spray those little pests and watch them jump away! Quite satisfying!
Once your plants start to grow larger, I recommend watering them only when you notice the soil getting dry. You may opt to purchase a plant fertilizer for vegetables. I recommend Miracle Grow. Be sure to follow the instructions for best results.
Step five: Harvest
If you made it this far, HOORAY!!! I am so proud of you! Your hard work has paid off! Your onions can be harvested as chives or green onions. But how do you know when your potatoes are ready to harvest? After as early as thirteen weeks or as late as 20 weeks, you will notice flowers starting to bloom on the plant. When that happens, wait a week or so and gently dig up around the stalks. Yay Potatoes!
Congratulations! You have successfully taken your first step towards frugal food gardening!
Thanks for reading this blog!
Fruits and vegetables are easy to grow: Part one
So you want to grow a frugal garden? I have a surprise for you! It's EASY! If a plant assassin like me can do it, so can you! Reading this blog will help you survive the worst zombie apocalypse or famine! So let's not waste any time getting into it...
Step one: Visit farmer's markets
This is the easy step but also super important step. You don't want Monsanto foods coming to rob you of your hard work. Not to mention we don't want to give them anymore of our dollars. So, go to a farmer's market. You can usually find one online by searching Google Maps. If you can't find one, search "family farms". Sometimes there is a nursery that has fruit and veggies too. If all else fails and you just can't find any farmers markets, go to the grocery store and buy organic.
Okay now that we know where to go, we need to know what to buy! If you're not allergic, you'll want to buy a red potato and one onion. No need to go crazy buying tons of fruits and veggies! You'll want to first learn your green thumb strengths and weaknesses and starting small is better than failing big. Trust me.
Step two: Wait
This is the hard part. I hate waiting. I put the potato in a cupboard and left them for about two week and the onion on the window by the sink. Every evening when I washed dishes, I would put water on a plate and set the onion on the dish. When the dishes were done I put the onion back in the window. After about a week, the onion started to grow green sprouts. That's when I knew that my potato was also ready.
Step three: Plant
I got two medium pots (about 3-4 gallon sized) filled them with soil and a few bags rocks from the dollar tree for proper drainage. (Rocks on the bottom soil on top) MAKE SURE THE POTS HAVE A DRAINAGE HOLE(S)!!! Sorry about the shouting. I forgot this step when I first started out and lost my tomato plant right before it began to bear fruit. 😠Flashback!!!ðŸ˜
Okay back to the planting... I added the potato to one pot and covered it with soil and did the same for the onion. I watered them sparingly, a couple tablespoons once every two days. When the potatoes started to grow leaves I knew it was time to move the plants outside.
Step four: Pest and Maintenance
You may notice from time to time some ugly, white fuzzy fungus looking substance on your plants leaves and stems. If you see this, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! Just kidding. These are called mealy worms they are harmless to humans, (I've never been bitten by one) but can be deadly to plants. You are going to want to get rid of them ASAP because they will drain the life from your plants. (Veggie zombie apocalypse!) I'm sure you want to keep in line with frugality and lucky for you, I can teach you that too! All you'll need is a spray attachment on a hose or a spray bottle filled with water. Then, simply spray those little pests and watch them jump away! Quite satisfying!
Once your plants start to grow larger, I recommend watering them only when you notice the soil getting dry. You may opt to purchase a plant fertilizer for vegetables. I recommend Miracle Grow. Be sure to follow the instructions for best results.
Step five: Harvest
If you made it this far, HOORAY!!! I am so proud of you! Your hard work has paid off! Your onions can be harvested as chives or green onions. But how do you know when your potatoes are ready to harvest? After as early as thirteen weeks or as late as 20 weeks, you will notice flowers starting to bloom on the plant. When that happens, wait a week or so and gently dig up around the stalks. Yay Potatoes!
Congratulations! You have successfully taken your first step towards frugal food gardening!
Thanks for reading this blog!
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