INTRODUCTION:
If the lockdown has given us anything, it’s plenty of time with ourselves. We finally got to do all that we’d been putting off for a ‘someday’ that otherwise would never have happened. Some went on to learn new skills while others chose to apply their own. Starting a kitchen garden and growing vegetables at home was one of the most popular trends that many families picked up on. They had the option to eat nutritious veggies grown at home and avoid buying them from outside while spending their time tending to plants and making their homes look better.
Did you know that during World Wars 1 & 2, the governments of the US, UK, and Canada encouraged their people to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs in their backyards and public places? They named it ‘Victory garden’. The reason behind it was to increase vegetable production and boost people’s morale. Surprisingly, a whopping 40% of fruit and vegetable production was done in the victory garden.
WHAT IS KITCHEN GARDENING?
Kitchen gardening is the process of growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs in your backyard, making your kitchen garden the source of your everyday vegetables. Fruits grown in a kitchen garden are more nutritious, taste better, and provide a satisfying level of freshness when we grow and harvest our produce. The kitchen garden, which has nutritional value, health benefits, and contributes to mental well-being for everyone, is a widely accepted hobby among people of all ages.
WHY KITCHEN GARDEN IS DIFFERENT FROM A “REGULAR GARDEN’?
A kitchen garden is different from a regular vegetable garden for so many reasons. A kitchen garden is mostly about the experience of growing seeds into plants over seasons, which includes the fun of picking something fresh for your kitchen every day.
Kitchen gardens and regular vegetable gardens are also different in terms of the size of the plot. Kitchen gardens are comparatively small (20 to 200 square feet) and are mostly placed near kitchens for their use. Regular vegetable gardens are larger (up to a thousand square feet) and are usually located in the backyard or outside the home due to their size. The goals of a kitchen garden and a regular vegetable garden are different, too. Kitchen gardens are mainly focused on nutritional value through small produce, whereas regular vegetable gardens are primarily focused on bigger yields.
CHOOSING THE BEST PLACE FOR YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN
Choose the right place for your kitchen garden is the single most important factor that will affect the quality of your produce. Think about the elements that matter to you and your plants, in addition to those that serve your purpose of starting a kitchen garden. Let’s look at the key factors to consider when choosing the perfect spot for your vegetable garden:
Following the sunshine: Any plant you plan to grow needs plenty of sunlight. So it’s vitally important to choose a spot that gets plenty of direct sunlight for your kitchen garden.
Watering it right: A second important factor to consider when choosing your kitchen garden spot is the water source. The water to your kitchen garden must be regular and unrestricted enough that it does not harm the growth of the plants you’re growing.
Foundation: The third factor and another natural resource needed to grow vegetables in your kitchen garden is a strong root system. Strong roots provide a stronger root system to plants, giving your vegetables a healthy and longer life.
Airflow: Your plants getting enough airflow is also crucial while choosing a spot for your kitchen garden. Just like you, your plants need to breathe too. Make proper spacing between your plants and ensure one plant doesn’t prevent the air from circulating.
Choose a convenient spot: While choosing a spot for your kitchen garden always think of making it a fun and convenient process. Kitchen gardens require regular tending and picking so it is wise to choose a spot that doesn’t ask you to go out of your way to do it.
Make it easy to get to: Your kitchen garden shouldn’t become a hike or a quick jaunt for you. And since we’ve already talked about finding a convenient spot, pick a spot that’s easy to get to for you to tend or just be around for entertainment.
KITCHEN GARDEN DESIGN BASICS
Along with all the other purposes, a kitchen garden is also grown to enhance your homes and surrounding areas. Kitchen Garden design features consist of repetitive geometric patterns. The kitchen garden offers year-round visual appeal and can incorporate perennial or woody shrub plantings surrounding (or among) the annuals. It’s a source for herbs, veggies, and fruits, but it is often also an organized outdoor space.
It’s going to largely depend on how much space you have allotted for it, but you can do a few things to make it look nice:
Dress Up Your Vegetable Plants
2. Build a hanging kitchen garden for your vegetables
3. Vegetable Bed Plants
4. Choose a good garden pallet
5. Your kitchen garden inside a box
You can also make use of your container/pot collection or create a separate room for your garden called a greenhouse. As you start growing, you’ll discover new ways to design your kitchen garden.
DEVELOP A PLAN FOR KITCHEN GARDEN
So you’re looking to start your kitchen garden. Coming up with a plan for a kitchen garden can be a very rational approach. If you’ve read through all of the points above, then you probably already know what all factors you should take into account when developing a plan for your kitchen garden. Go over all the points below and you’ll be prepared with your kitchen garden plan:
Location, location, location. Pick the location considering everything that will be required to set up your kitchen garden.
Get your site prepped. Check your soil and arrange all of the necessary resources.
Pick out the produce, herbs, and flowers that you’ll grow based on their growth requirements. Grow only what you’ll use in your day-to-day cooking.
Map out where you’re going to place each plant you’re growing.
Plant veggies and fruits
Harvest what you can, when the produce is ripe.
EXPERT TIPS WHILE CULTIVATING YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN (10 SMALL TIPS LIST)
The location has to be right for the kitchen garden.
Be sure to have a proper source of sunlight.
Make sure you’re giving your crops regular care.
Pay attention to any pests or disease outbreaks.
Begin to grow vegetables in raised beds.
Don’t bother with direct sowing seeds; use transplants instead
It’s important to harvest regularly, so you’re not overcrowding the plants.
Pick varieties that are easy to grow.
Combining flowers with veggies for a healthy pairing.
Be sure the spacing is wide enough for air to flow.
MAINTAINING YOUR KITCHEN GARDEN
To maintain your kitchen garden, you’ll need to be a little bit more mindful. This can be an easy process when you’re aware of what your crops are looking for.
You’ll have to keep an eye on your crops and watch for any diseases that may appear. Proper care of your plants can increase their lifespan and enhance the quality of their produce.
Watering your crop regularly is another factor to take into account when caring for your plants. Avoid overwatering your plants, as it can lead to their demise.
Checking the soil is important because, over time, it degrades. It needs replenishment to continue producing.
Destroy unwanted plants: Weeds can cause the plants to choke, leaving them to die. Removing weeds is vital for continued plant growth.
Make sure your gardening tools are clean and maintained so that when used in the garden they don’t harm any plants.
Keep animals off your kitchen garden. You’re putting in a lot of work into your kitchen garden, so you don’t want it to be eaten by animals.
Give crop rotation a try. It increases yield between plants and is considered an important component of sustainable agriculture.
HOW DOES KHETI BUDDY HOME HELP IN GARDEN PLANNING?
Kheti Buddy Home (KBH) is a garden planning app that provides a step-by-step guide for growing your healthy food at home. It turns your Android phone into a gardening companion, reminding you daily — what to do and recommending how to do it, and highlighting the benefits of doing it right. As a true home gardening buddy, KBH offers:
Gardening Activity Schedule Plan
Gardening Activity Reminder
Expert Advisory
Articles Section
Gardening Tips & Tricks
Purchase Gardening Material
Gardening Service
Let’s begin! Download the app and add your first plant.
CONCLUSION
Now you are all set to start your kitchen garden by following all the important measures you need. Whatever the purpose you choose for your kitchen garden, make sure you are allocating enough time every day to take care of it. Because children, marriages, and gardens reflect the kind of care they get.
FAQ
What should I grow in my kitchen garden?
Go for easy crops and crops that mature easily for your kitchen garden. Tomatoes, herbs, leafy vegetables, chili, carrots are some of the vegetables you can go for.
How do you grow a kitchen garden?
Location, location, location. Pick the location considering everything that will be required to set up your kitchen garden.
Get your site prepped. Check your soil and arrange all of the necessary resources.
Pick out the produce, herbs, and flowers that you’ll grow based on their growth requirements. Grow only what you’ll use in your day-to-day cooking.
Map out where you’re going to place each plant you’re growing.
Plant veggies and fruits
Harvest what you can, when the produce is ripe.
What can I put on my garden to help it grow?
Use High-Quality Soil and Nutrients
Provide Warmth and Sunlight
Implement Best Water Practices
Use Transplants
Take good care
How do I make my garden grow better?
The location has to be right for the kitchen garden.
Be sure to have a proper source of sunlight.
Make sure you’re giving your crops regular care.
Pay attention to any pests or disease outbreaks.
Begin to grow vegetables in raised beds.