With many states enacting stay-at-home policies and the uncertainty surrounding food availability, the idea of victory gardens, the World War II effort of home gardening for self-reliance, is making a comeback.
Whether you’re picking up gardening as a hobby, or planting your own produce to supplement your groceries in the coming months, home gardening can be very rewarding. But having a successful home garden is not as easy as sticking a seed in the ground.
“Nature is trying to get back to forest constantly,” says Aaron von Frank. Von Frank and his wife, Susan, are organic gardeners documenting their adventures in agriculture on Tyrant Farms.
“You have to think about how you can best work with nature to create an ecosystem where the plants that you want to cultivate are happy and healthy,” says von Frank, “and the plants that you don’t want to cultivate [like weeds that can choke your garden] are not happy and healthy.”
This requires not just proper planning, but also an understanding of the environment with which you’re working. Here are some things von Frank says you should consider in order to successfully manage a home garden and have a bountiful harvest later this season.
Climate
Leafy greens can grow throughout the year, even during cooler months — Photo courtesy of Aaron von Frank
“You have to have some idea of what grows during what season in your climate zone,” says von Frank.
Before you start planting, do a little research about what each plant needs and if your climate can support those needs. This includes how much sunlight, how much rainfall and even how much humidity a certain plant needs to thrive. Since these conditions change throughout the seasons, also keep in mind what time of year your region’s climate reaches optimal conditions.
The tomato plant, for example, needs warm soil to successfully grow and produce tomatoes. But if you plant it too early, a late spring cold snap can quickly kill your tomato plant.
You can start a lot of plants indoors as long as you have enough sunlight coming in (try to situate your seedlings by a south facing window). After the last frost, you can transplant your seedlings outside.
Depending on your climate, von Frank says pepper plants, beans, native edible plants and herbs are relatively easy. Just do a little research beforehand to ensure these plants work with your climate.
Goals
Gardening is a great activity for the entire family to enjoy — Photo courtesy of Getty Images / monkeybusinessimages
There are no wrong answers for this consideration, but setting some goals is essential to laying the groundwork for your future garden, explains von Frank. Are you trying to save money? Are you gardening for pleasure and relaxing? Are you trying to find additional educational activities for your kids?
“Depending on what you’re trying to do, it’ll redirect your efforts and resources,” says von Frank.
Budget
Take your budget into account when planning your garden — Photo courtesy of E+ / Jay Yuno
Grow your garden without shrinking your wallet. Understanding your budget is another essential part of planning your home garden. According to von Frank, you can spend as little or as much as you want on your garden. You can have an Instagrammable garden which will likely cost more money, but then there’s “nature’s garden” as von Frank calls it, which is completely free.
“If you go out into your lawn, you’re probably surrounded by edible plants that are already there.” The key with this kind of foraging is understanding how to identify which plants are edible.
Time
Timing is key to ensuring you get the most out of your home garden — Photo courtesy of Getty Images / CSMimages
Depending on your budget and your goals, the timeframe in which you’re hoping to harvest is a constraint you have to plan for. Peach trees and blueberry bushes may bear delicious fruits, but these kinds of perennial plants take years to produce abundantly.
“So if you need food in the next few months, you’ll want to go with the faster growing annual plants,” says von Frank.
Think beyond yourself
Gardening is an activity that engages not just with the environment, but with your local community — Photo courtesy of Getty Images / Halfpoint
Your home garden may be providing produce for your friends and family, but it does not exist in a vacuum. The decisions you make with your garden can ripple out into your community. Due to the current growing interest in home gardening, there is a high demand on seeds. The seeds we buy are the same seeds that farmers use to make a living.
“Don’t buy and hoard seeds,” says von Frank. “Only buy what you’re confident you’re going to use in the next year, otherwise you’re going to be harming farmers in your community, who need these seeds for their businesses.”
It’s not to say you can’t garden – you absolutely can! But please be considerate of the seed economy in your community. If you’re having trouble getting seeds and want to start your own garden, consider buying seedlings from a local garden center or small farms that are holding plant sales.
And if you don’t have a green thumb, you can always join a CSA, a community-supported agriculture, which von Frank says is a great way to support your local farmers.