There are a lot of great reasons to start your own vegetable garden. It can improve your diet with fresh vegetables and save you money on groceries. Vegetable gardening also helps you relax and connect with nature, which is good for both your mental and physical health. Plus, it supports the environment by reducing your carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices.
However, when you live a busy life, it can take up more time than you want to put into it. Watering, weeding, and taking care of plants need time. Many people find it hard to juggle vegetable gardening with their other duties. In this article, we put together a few tips to help you make gardening easier so you can have fresh vegetables even if you lead a busy life.
1 – Use raised beds
Raised bed vegetable gardening is a highly efficient way to grow vegetables, especially if you’re dealing with limited space or poor soil conditions. There are a few benefits that make raised garden beds much easier to do which fits nicely into a busy schedule.
For starters, since you are adding your own fixed soil to them, there are less weeds that grow. Weeding is time consuming and laborious, so taking that out of the equation makes it more likely that your garden will be alright even if you have to neglect things for a bit.
Another benefit of raised beds is their ability to improve drainage. Because the beds are elevated, the water doesn’t pool around the roots which reduces the risk of moisture-related plant diseases. This setup also makes it more difficult for some pests, like slugs and snails, to access your plants and less time spent having to deal with garden problems.
2 – Choose hardy varietals
When you pick hardy plant varieties for your vegetable garden, you make gardening much easier and increase your chances of a good harvest. When you choose hardy plant varieties for your garden, you make gardening much easier and increase your chances of a good harvest. Hardy plants, which resist diseases and pests, require less care and have a higher chance of thriving even in less-than-perfect conditions.
These tough vegetable plants also tend to produce more vegetables than other types. Choosing plants known for their high yields helps you get the most out of your garden space. This is especially useful if your garden is small, as you can still enjoy plenty of fresh vegetables over the season without the burden of a large garden to maintain.
3 – Automate some of the work
Using technology can make vegetable gardening much easier and help your plants grow better. One of the best tools to consider is an automated watering system. Systems like drip irrigation water your plants regularly and directly at their roots.
Technology like gardening apps can be a big help. These apps can remind you when it’s time to water, fertilize, or deal with pests. They can also give you weather updates, which are helpful for planning your gardening work.