Growing your own food is a great way to start on the path to self-sustainability. It is a highly satisfying experience, enables you to consume fresher veggies and fruits, and it cuts down on your grocery bill. Freshly picked produce always seems to taste better than items bought from the shop and, with easy access to the bounty of your labor, you will be motivated to stick to, or exceed, the recommended 5 daily servings of fruit and vegetables.
What Type of Garden Should You Choose?
That depends on a multitude of factors. People living in apartments may find it impossible to start a large veggie garden due to space constraints. People who work 60+ hours a week may not really care much for tending large plots either.
Before you start, you have to ask these questions to yourself:
- Do I have enough space to start a garden?
- Do I have the time to care properly for the garden?
- How much can I spend to start a garden?
- Am I physically capable of caring properly for the garden?
Take a look at all these factors, evaluate them carefully, and then find out which gardening option is best suited to your circumstances.
You do not necessarily have to be restricted to one choice. It is always possible to combine different gardening types to create a garden that suits you the best.
Keep reading to learn more about the different types of gardening
1. The Traditional Garden
You should go for traditional raised bed or in-ground gardens if you’re interested in growing your own food the old-fashioned way. Some people prefer to plant in an orderly fashion whereas others like to plant in a scattered, natural manner. Some prefer pesticides and chemicals for eliminating bugs, whereas others prefer natural pesticides and organic soil to keep pests away. There are a number of methods you can go for growing a traditional garden, making it a fun adventure if you’re just starting this journey. You just need to take action and beginning planting
2. A Hydroponics System
This type of gardening system helps you grow food by replacing soil with water absorbent materials. The plants are grown in a bed of pebbles, clay pellets, or other fillers. A water tank is located near this bed, with a pump delivering water to the roots of the plants from the tank. Hydroponics rigs tend to be quite large, but you can also choose from the many available downsized beginner kits.
3. A Container Garden for Small Spaces
Container gardens are a great option if you’re interested in growing your own food indoors or lack the space for a conventional garden. Container gardens also enable you to produce the same types of vegetables that you’d normally have in traditional gardens with the container’s size being the sole limitation.
4. An Aquaponics Eco-System
It is an off-shoot of hydroponics that also utilizes fish. The size of the setup may be small or large, depending on the circumstances. Some prefer to have fish as their pets whereas others utilize them as food. Aquaponics kits resemble traditional hydroponics rigs and come with a water tank where fishes are grown. Waste products produced by the fish are converted into nutritious nitrates that get pumped by the tank to the roots of the plants.
5. The Vertical Garden
This is a great option for people who lack ample space to start their own conventional gardens. The garden beds are wall-mounted and enable you to grow the plant upwards instead of in a horizontal direction. You may also grow vertical gardens in a traditional garden bed by utilizing poles or trellises. Beans, cucumbers, and other naturally climbing plants can be grown in this manner.
6. An Indoor Garden – Ideal for City Dwellers
People who don’t have enough space outdoors should go for indoor gardens. These kits contain inbuilt LED grow lights and planters, which allow you to keep growing vegetables even in a low-light zone. Many indoor garden systems have been designed around keeping herbs and microgreens. People who are looking for a bigger rig should go for container gardening & include special LED grow lights as well.
7. Plant Some Trees
You can start planting fruit trees to enhance the variety in your backyard or to even spruce up the garden. A popular starter is an apple tree – everyone enjoys a fresh crisp apple. You can expand this with blueberry and raspberry bushes, pear trees and cherry trees, which all provide nutritious and tasty fruit.
If space is limited, a potted dwarf lemon or other citrus tree will thrive in a sunny location.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of ways you can start growing your own food. Whichever method you choose, gardening is a satisfying and fun way to ensure that you have ample access to nutritious, fresh veggies and fruits all the time.
Like this article? Pin it in Pinterest
More to Explore
