Vegetable gardening in North Carolina is one of the nation¡¯s best kept secrets for vegetable growing. Nothing compares to the taste, quality or freshness of home grown North Carolina vegetables. Vegetable gardening has become so popular that landscape designers are now incorporating vegetable gardens in their overall designs for homeowners. In fact, the idea of vegetable gardening in North Carolina has become an easy and fun adventure. An adventure the entire family can partake in.
The 5 Steps to Vegetable Gardening in North Carolina
The beginning gardener only needs about 25 square feet of clear space to begin their vegetable garden. Actually there are five points which will make your gardening experience an easy one.
The first is sunlight. To be successful, vegetable gardening in North Carolina needs only six hours of full sunlight per day. Eight to ten hours is ideal, but six is all you need to succeed. Also be sure your garden is away from the shade of buildings, trees and shrubs. Broccoli, collards, spinach and lettuce will tolerate more shade, however.
The second is nearness to your home. Your vegetable gardening in North Carolina experience will be much easier for you if your garden is close to you. It is more likely that you will keep up with the weeding, watering and insect and disease control. Plus you will be able to take advantage of the garden¡¯s freshness.
The third point is soil. Your soil does not have to be ideal. Vegetable gardening in North Carolina is successful because of North Carolina¡¯s rich fertile soil. That is basically all you need. A rich, fertile soil will give you big, strong, beautiful veggies.
The fourth point is water. One inch of water a week is all it takes to have successful vegetable gardening in North Carolina. It does not matter whether your water comes from rain or irrigation. As long as it receives one inch a week, your garden should be green and lush in no time.
Finally, the fifth point is good air drainage. Do not plant in a low spot. Frost forms more readily in low spots because cold air cannot drain away.
Your Plan
There are a lot of books which will help you plan for vegetable gardening in North Carolina. Any number of these will be very helpful. But in planning your garden, you must first select your vegetables. Usually whatever you choose will grow in North Carolina with few exceptions. Asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, carrots, beans, beets, cauliflower, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, squash, mustard, peas, potatoes, radish and turnips are all a sure bet of success. Draw a diagram of your garden and use good quality garden tools and start planting your seeds indoors to get strong seedlings for transplanting outdoors. Harvest your vegetables during the cool part of the morning and process immediately. If you follow these guidelines your vegetable gardening in North Carolina experience should be easy, fun and successful.
