Growing a vegetable garden can be a rewarding experience and during this time can be essential in creating and growing your own food. Our Social Distance Garden continues as we explore the wonderful world of vegetable starters. What are vegetable starters, you may ask? Vegetable starters are simply vegetables that have already been seeded and germinated by a professional greenhouse or garden center. That’s exactly what we do in our greenhouse in Golden, CO—start the vegetables for you. That way all you need to do is get them in the ground!
We put together some helpful tips & tricks that will make sure you’re successful when you’re out there doing, your Social Distance Garden.
Find and plant in a sunny location: Most vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. It helps if you scout a location prior to planting by watching and recording how much sun it gets. The more sunlight they receive, the greater the harvest, the bigger the veggies, and the better the taste—science!
Use a good compost: Plants need good, soft, nutrient dense compost to thrive—especially in Colorado. The soil in Colorado is an alkaline, clay soils, so it’s best to amend your soil with a good deal of compost to both loosen it and lower the pH. It also good to use a fertilizer after 2 weeks to make sure your veggies are getting all the nutrients they need! This chart will tell you how much soil amendment you’ll need.
We Suggest: Fox Farm Planting Mix Soil & Down to Earth Starter Mix Fertilizer
Space Veggies Properly: Plants set too close together compete for sunlight, water, and nutrition. This could cause your plants to fail at reaching maturity. We can help you understand the spacing needed when purchasing your vegetable starters.
Water properly: Watering is very important and making sure that you are watering the correct amount—neither too much nor too little. This will give them the best chance at producing well-formed, mature vegetables. It’s always best to water in the early evening or early morning as this will reduce the amount that can be evaporated from the sun. Setting up a water timer will help when you can’t water during those times.
Harvest at the right time: Harvesting at the right time is key because it will ensure you are getting the tastiest and largest crop yield! Ask us what’s the best time to harvest when you buy your vegetable starters.
Which vegetables are you starting in your Social Distance Garden? We’d like to see them on Instagram or Facebook, simply tag us at @cityfloralgardencenter and we’ll give you a shout out!