Starting Your Edible Plant Garden: What You Should Know
Adding a new line of plants can be confusing for new plant parents. For example, edible landscaping can be tricky to implement, especially if you are an inexperienced plant parent. However, if you start with a small garden, you will be able to plan for a thriving edibles landscape that you can enjoy for many years to come.
Mixing your ornamental plants with edible plants will help you develop beautiful landscaping called foodscaping.
How to Plan for Your Edible Landscape
Know that the most common edibles can thrive in ornamental landscapes, especially when they get the care they need.
1 – Determine the Kind of Plants You Want to Grow
You can start by planning all the edible plants you want to have in your garden. It can also help you budget your expenses because you will know how much money you will spend on seeds and plants.
However, to maximize the success of your edible garden, you need to consider the following tips.
Select the Right Spot for Your Edible Landscape
Keep in mind that some edible plants can be grown in full sun, and some can be grown in full shade. For example, tomatoes can be grown in full sun, and basil can be grown in full shade.
It would be ideal to have the edible landscape in a cool and shady spot that receives plenty of natural light. But if you are planning to grow fruits, try to avoid planting them too close to the house since fruits will need more sunlight and warmth to germinate.
In addition, choose a well-drained spot. You would not want to grow a garden that gets flooded when it rains.
Plant Suitable Edibles for Your Edible Landscape
The point of planting edibles is to grow your own food that can feed your family. However, it would be best if you made sure that the plants you are planting are actually edible.
You can start by researching the edible plants you are planning to grow. You can do this by visiting a local nursery or any online source that provides information about these types of plants.
After you have a list of edible plants, you can visit a local nursery to purchase the plants you want to grow in your edible landscape.
If you plan on purchasing plants from an online source, it is best to buy them from a reputable nursery or garden center.
Edible Plants That Produce Annual Crops
A list of annual crops that you can choose from include:
Peppers
Tomatoes
Squash
Parsley
Edible Plants That Produce Perennial Crops
A list of perennial crops that you can choose from include:
Perennial herbs
Edible flowers
Edible trees
Edible shrubs
Linear crops
2 – Prepare the Soil for Your Edible Landscape
Preparing the soil for your edible garden can be a time-consuming process that can take up to several weeks or months.
If you are an inexperienced plant parent, you can start by planting your edible plants in the garden where you are already growing your ornamental landscaping plants. It will be easier for you to maintain an already established garden.
3 – Caring for Landscape Edibles
An adequately maintained edible landscape will be easy to maintain, especially if you do not want to spend time. Here’s how to maintain a well-managed edible landscape:
Start with proper preparation and planning.
Make sure that you are choosing the right plants for your edible landscape.
Ask for an expert opinion.
Plant your edibles at the right time.
Choose a spot that gets plenty of sunlight, but not too much, and where the soil drains well.
Care for your plants.
Water your plants.
Get rid of any that have gone bad.
Use companion planting to encourage beneficial insects, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Mulch around your plants.
Get rid of any weeds.
Protect your plants from insects and diseases.
Conclusion
Planning for your edible landscape can be challenging, especially if you are an inexperienced plant parent. But by starting with a small garden, you will be able to plant a wide range of edible plants that you can enjoy for many years to come. Also, you will be able to grow your own food in your edible landscape, which can cut down your household budget and save you from buying food from a grocery store.
These days, it’s becoming more and more useful to grow more edible flowers in your edible landscapes. Consult with a professional or browse more helpful articles here at Blossom & Broom if you need more ideas and tips.
