Do you enjoy gardening? Perhaps you do it in your spare time or you are an avid gardener. Growing your own vegetable or herb make sense, right? It saves you money in the long run and it’s rewarding. Why pay for it if you can pick it fresh from your garden? I would say, grow it yourself! Before growing anything, it is crucial to learn about your agricultural or USDA Plant Hardiness Zone, (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone).

Knowing your zone hardiness will help you figure out what to plant, and when to plant them. Researching about each vegetable or herb is also a great way to start because it’s beneficial to know their temperature requirements, likes and dislikes. As stated before, research, research and research some more! My other advice to you is to grow what you like. Not what you think your neighbor or family will like. If you love tomatoes, the more reason for you to grow it!

Remember, gardening is seasonal. Depending on where you live, most likely you might have a short growing season. However some of you might even be able to grow year round with little or no effort. I live in the Northeast and the winters here can be brutal, so my growing season is very short. I can only plant between the last frost day of the spring (which a little before or after Mother’s day!), throughout the summer and harvest before the last hard frost in the fall. Once the snow starts here, the outdoor world is practically sealed completely! For me, growing indoor is not feasible because I don’t have much space in the house that receives considerable amount of natural sunlight, which is necessary. I intend to invest in a decent greenhouse to start growing earlier and to also be able to extend my growing season, but until i do, i will have to just wait till it’s safe outdoor like most of you.

Knowing your climate is crucial. It is essential to know the average temperatures in your area because it will be helpful in determining when to start sowing outside, transplanting or harvesting your crops. Again, I can’t stress it enough, timing is key! Timing must be good depending on what you’re growing or else your garden will be doomed before it even begins. Windy Springs can also be harmful to your garden, especially when your seedlings are trying to germinate. Keep in mind that night-time average temperatures are also a big factor in plant growth. Just because the temperature during the day is pleasant doesn’t mean it’ll be the same at night. For example,the Fall in the northeast are mostly pleasant during the day, but night temperatures can quickly fall near freezing.

If you live in other regions perhaps the Midwest or the Southern part of the country, when I’m trapped in an endless winter doom, you might be able to extend your growing season and produce in abundance through October, November and even into December! Most root crops like Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Spinach and Brussels sprouts thrives in the fall. And most perennial herbs like Chives, Lavender and Rosemary are also not afraid of a light frost. However, they are ways to extend your growing season even the harshest conditions which I will discuss on a later post.

If you live in other parts of the country where you have succeeded growing throughout most of the seasons, I would love to hear from you. How far into the growing season were you able to plant? Are you just starting to plant your own vegetable, if so, what are you thinking of starting with? For all the gardeners with more experience, i would also love to hear from you, any tips and tricks you may be able to share with the rest of us will be appreciated!

I’m constantly researching and learning about gardening and one of the best website to find gardening information is the Old Farmer’s Almanac. I’ve found their website to be very helpful when it comes to growing your own vegetable. This table is taken directly from their site, It offers so much more information than I can cover on my post. Check it out, bookmark it and familiarize yourself with all the information that it provides.
=============
Others:
http://cemonterey.ucanr.edu/files/268453.pdf
Best Vegetable Seeds for Planting to Feed Your Family
https://morninghomestead.com/greenhouses-near-me/
https://morninghomestead.com/best-led-grow-lights-reviews/
https://morninghomestead.com/best-hydroponics-books-beginner-reviews/
https://morninghomestead.com/best-evergreen-shrubs-front-house/