{"id":2437,"date":"2012-09-08T10:19:05","date_gmt":"2012-09-08T09:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greensideup.ie\/?p=2437"},"modified":"2014-09-27T16:21:45","modified_gmt":"2014-09-27T15:21:45","slug":"growing-vegetables-8-tips-to-stop-you-giving-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/growing-vegetables-8-tips-to-stop-you-giving-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing vegetables ~ 8 tips to stop you giving up!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Growing food is more than just saving money, eating healthier or learning a new skill, it goes deeper. Sowing a seed<\/a>, watching it burst through its shell, push its way through the compost, grow leaves, a stem, then flower and seed – you’re not only watching the cycle of life, but watching life that you’ve taken part in creating.<\/p>\n \u00a0“I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne<\/p><\/blockquote>\n However<\/em> (there’s always one of those isn’t there), growing your own vegetables doesn’t come without its challenges. It can at times be time-consuming, physically difficult, disappointing and frustrating. But please don’t let that put you off – if we didn’t experience a bit of pain we wouldn’t appreciate the many pleasures! So what can you do to minimise the effort so that you too can enjoy this beguiling pastime that many of us are so passionate about?<\/p>\n <\/a>Really, this is THE NUMBER ONE RULE<\/strong>. If I’ve learnt anything at all it’s how stressful a large vegetable plot can be if you’re short of time. Due to Mr Gs work commitments I’ve pretty much had to tend to the garden entirely on my own this year. Looking after ten vegetable beds, three fruit beds and a polytunnel is no joke if you’re working and\/or raising a family, and then you have to harvest, wash, prepare and cook or freeze all the produce!\u00a0So start small<\/strong><\/span> and see how you get on.<\/p>\n This is slightly contentious as it’s not the cheapest way of starting out and why bother if you have good soil, but…. raised beds<\/a> are low maintenance and much easier to manage. No grassy weeds finding their way into your beds.<\/p>\n If you suffer with any sort of mobility problems – back, shoulders, knees – consider installing or building waist-high raised beds. I’ve just harvested a bed of (forgotten) potatoes and even with the help from smallies picking the spuds out of the soil, my back is screaming at me, so much so I’m seriously contemplating not planting them next year. High raised beds are a pleasure to work at – you wouldn’t even know you’ve been gardening!<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Onions, garlic or shallots, peas or beans, Swiss chard, kale, courgettes, herbs and strawberries are great for starters. Once you’ve got the hang of those, experiment with different varieties.<\/p>\n Buy a couple of really good gardening books that will help answer questions or identify pests and diseases as soon as you spy them. Here’s<\/a> some of my favourites.<\/p>\n1. Don’t take on too much<\/h2>\n
2. Install raised beds<\/h2>\n
3. Install high raised beds<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Choose ‘easy’ vegetables<\/h2>\n
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5. Books<\/h2>\n
6. Tidy Up<\/h2>\n