Absolute beginners can take a tip from Cornell University’s Department of Horticulture. New gardeners can skip the investment in tools, fencing, raised gardens and the like by starting this way:
Dig up a 4-foot square in your lawn and sprinkle lettuce seeds on it.
No fertilizer is needed because lettuce will grow any place grass grows.
You won’t have to pull weeds, because if you sprinkle enough seeds, weeds won’t have a place to grow.
Your 4 x 4 garden will fill the family’s salad bowl for about six weeks. The lettuce will be fresh and more nutritious than what you buy in the supermarket.
In May, gardeners are eager to get started on the real thing. They want fresh air, exercise and the cash savings that come from growing their own produce.
But how much can they save?
According to Burpee Seed company, a pack of green bean seeds will produce a $75 crop. The lowly potato will give back at least $5 for every $1 in seeds that you sow.
Six tomato plants can produce 12 to 15 tomatoes a day at their peak, enough for eating, cooking, and freezing for winter stews or spaghetti sauce. Six pepper plants will do almost the same thing.
If you have the space, a few rows of sweet corn will produce more than you can use, but it’s good eatin’ when you cut the corn from the cob, bring it to a boil and freeze it for the winter.
Amateurs are excited about getting started. They love to see their new sprouts and developing vegetables. Unfortunately, when the hot summer sun comes their way, the faint of heart and weak of muscle may forget the whole thing and head for their air conditioned sun rooms.
The moral of this story: Don’t plant more garden than you can maintain.
