Home Vegetable Gardens: Grow Your Own Food

Whether you live in an apartment or have a large yard, create your own harvest

A home garden is a project the entire family can enjoy and take part in, while learning self-reliance skills. (Elena Medoks/Shutterstock)

If you think the only place to get vegetables is at the grocery store, prepare to be amazed and on the way to some degree of self-sufficiency.

In the wartime years of the 1940s, many people started “Victory Gardens” as a way to grow their own vegetables. The concept faded as grocery stores popped up all over the country, but it’s now making a comeback. Beyond fears of food shortages, there are other reasons to grow your own produce, including the ability to grow specific foods or varieties, eating food that’s “fresh off the vine” and free of pesticides, as well as the fact that while growing your own food requires a lot of preparation and maintenance, it can be economical over the long run when crops are coming in regularly.

The size of your crop will be determined by the amount of land available, but there are options for apartment dwellers as well as those in suburbia who can convert a lawn into a compact, productive farm.

Raised planter boxes provide a way to grow vegetables when open areas of land aren't available. (piranka/Getty Images)

First Things First

The first step is to decide what you want to grow, and to determine if it’s viable to grow it where you live. The best way to do this is to review the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plant hardiness zone map for where you live. Plants bought from a local nursery should do fine in your garden, but if you buy seeds, look at the back of the package or the USDA hardiness zone information to make sure they’re suitable for your area. As an example, while pineapples are best suited for southern sections of California and Florida, there are species of vegetables including lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and more that can be grown across the United States. Read all the information on the seed packet, as it may tell you when to expect to see sprouts, the best time of year to plant, and when to harvest.

The best gardeners are those who learn, which requires time and a commitment to constantly develop new skills and gather useful information from sources such as the USDA.gov website, any of the plethora of gardening channels on YouTube, and the Farmers’ Almanac, which, since 1818, has been delightfully guiding farmers on what crops to grow at various times of the year, as well as proving weather forecasts, farming tips, home remedies, recipes, stargazing schedules, and much more.

When growing vegetables from seeds, review the USDA plant hardiness map to make sure they are viable in your geographic region.(Piyaset/Shutterstock)

Plant Your Plot

Once you decide what to grow, it’s time to decide the location and size of your “personal farm.” Most apartment dwellers might not realize they can grow their own food, but through the use of indoor plants, windowsill planters, or systems such as Rise indoor hydroponic gardens, they, too, can grow and harvest vegetables, including peppers and herbs such as basil, mint, and thyme. A community garden is another option, but not one to be further explored here.

Gardening requires specialized tools to plant, hoe, remove weeds, and water plants; choose quality tools that will provide many years of use.(Abramova Elena/Shutterstock)

Unless you have a huge, sprawling yard, most first-time home gardeners may want to start small, either using raised planter boxes and pots or by designating a 25-square-foot section of yard for growing vegetables. A smaller plot requires less time to manage, making you more likely to stick with it and allowing you to learn as you go. As you plan the garden, consider the mature sizes of your crops to avoid planting seeds or plants too closely, leading to overcrowding.

Transplanting seedlings is a great way to expedite the garden’s harvest. Place them to ensure they aren’t overcrowded and can grow to full size. (Alexander Raths/Shutterstock)

The next step is to determine the soil quality. For planter boxes or pots, use soil from the local garden center, but when repurposing a section of the yard, look at the soil. If it’s mostly rich and loamy and has the right pH levels, you are ready to start planting. However, if it’s rocky, sandy, or thick clay, you may need to amend it with compost, or bring in soil by the bag—or by the truckload.

Once a garden begins to produce a harvest, it becomes easier to keep it going, resulting in fresh vegetables for your enjoyment. (Africa Studio/Shutterstock)

Gardening requires the right tools, including a shovel, spade, hoes for weeding and soil-turning, a trowel, a water hose with a wand or spray nozzle, pruners, gloves, and a rain gauge. It’s actually more economical to buy the best quality tools that will last for many years, so you don’t have to replace them frequently.

Repurposing a section of otherwise unused lawn for a home garden is an easy way to start producing crops. (CasarsaGuru/Getty Images)

With the seeds or young plants in the ground, the focus turns to maintaining the garden, keeping it free of weeds and properly watered. Indoor gardeners need to ensure that their crops receive the proper amount of sunlight for optimal growth. Keep an eye on the plants, harvest the bounty, and keep the process going.