A 15 by 15 feet garden can produce more than 100 pounds of garden-fresh vegetables and herbs.

(ARA) – The economy is tanking, grocery bills are climbing and food safety scares are on the rise. For the 43 million Americans planning a vegetable garden this year, growing your own is a matter of dollars and sense.

Food gardening will jump 19 percent this year over last year, according to a new survey by the National Gardening Association (NGA). Homeowners with shrinking household budgets are looking for help in their own backyards. Can planting a veggie patch really save you money? Government agencies and gardening organizations say yes.

Every $100 spent on vegetable gardening yields $1,000 to $1,700 worth of produce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. That’s a serious hedge against skyrocketing food prices, expected to jump another 5 percent this year.

Your backyard can become your own personal grocery store, producing enough vegetables to feed your entire family all season long.

You’ll get a half-pound of edibles from every square foot of ground devoted to backyard crops, NGA experts say. Even a modest garden (15 by 15 feet) can produce more than 100 pounds of garden-fresh tomatoes, salad greens, vegetables and herbs. Better flavor and bragging rights come with the harvest.

Planting a vegetable plot and keeping it productive isn’t that hard if you start small, keep the basics in mind and plant reliable varieties. Take it step by step:

Lead with Location — A sunny, well-drained spot close to a water spigot is ideal. Leafy greens tolerate some shade, but other crops want eight hours of sun daily.

Suitable Soil — Adding organic material is the key to an easy-care garden. It loosens stiff soil, helps retain moisture and nourishes important soil organisms. Good “ingredients” include manure, humus and chopped-up leaves. Spread a 4-inch layer of amendments on your plot and till into the top 9 to 12 inches.

Fertilize Faithfully — All edible plants remove some nutrients from the soil, and can quickly exhaust the soil without the help of a fertilizer. Always follow the rates given on the label when deciding how much to use.

Water Wisely — One inch of water weekly is adequate for most vegetables. Soaker hoses or drip systems deliver water efficiently and keep foliage dry, fending off leaf diseases.

Patrol for Pests — Monitor insect damage but try to keep your crops pesticide-free. Hand-pick pests or dislodge them with a jet of water, then let natural predators do the rest. If you must spray, do it late in the day when beneficial insects are less active.

Pick the Right Plants — Flower gardeners gravitate to the newest, showiest varieties, but smart food gardeners appreciate the tried-and-true. Bonnie Plants, available coast to coast, are time-tested varieties selected to suit regional conditions. For best results you’ll need to choose veggie and herb varieties suitable to your geographical location. Because Bonnie’s varieties are distributed regionally, you will automatically have suitable varieties available to you at retail locations in your area.

Look for Bonnie Plants in eco-friendly biodegradable pots that not only keep tons of plastic pots from ending up in landfills, but also reduce transplant shock. Just tear off the bottom, set the pot in the ground and water.

If you’re ready to try your hand at creating your own backyard grocery garden, here are 10 easy crops to plant:

Basil — Perfect with tomatoes. Choose sweet basil or the compact ”Spicy Globe.”

Beans — Bush beans like “Bush Blue Lake’”are easier to pick, but tall “pole” beans have higher yields.

Bell peppers — Harvest green or red, when vitamin levels are higher. Try “Bonnie Bell” or the new, hot bell pepper “Mexibell.”

Chard — This leafy green tolerates cool temperatures well. Varieties like “Bright Lights” have brilliantly colored stems.

Cucumber — Plant after the weather warms. Choose the mild Japanese cucumber or the old favorite “Burpless Bush Hybrid.”

Eggplant — A much-loved favorite, eggplant thrives in hot weather. Try “Black Beauty” or the white-skinned “Cloud Nine.”

Lettuce — Go for easy “leaf” lettuces like “Buttercrunch,” “Red Sails,” or Romaine.

Parsley — Pick curly types or flat Italian parsley. This herb is rich in vitamins and a breath-sweetener, too.

Summer squash — Squash are very productive plants and easy to grow. Try zucchini “Black Beauty” or yellow crook-necked squash.

Tomatoes — These crimson favorites are the most popular backyard vegetable. Choose disease-resistant “Better Boy,” “Bonnie Original” or the extra-easy cherry tomato “Sweet 100.”

For gardening tips and more herb and vegetable varieties, visit www.bonnieplants.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related posts:

1. Nothing Says Fresh and Healthy Like a Backyard Vegetable Garden
2. The Fun Of Backyard Gardening
3. Appropriate Vegetable Garden Plans Can Improve Fall Harvest

On top of planning the veggies that you’ll grow in your garden, you’ll also need to know what kind of potting scenario you’ll use and the best time of year to grow the vegetables that you’d like to grow. You’ll also want to plan where your vegetable garden will be located in order to maximize the success of it.

Planting in Pots or In Ground Planting?

Depending on what kind of vegetables you’ll be growing and the climate in which you live, you may choose to either plant your veggies in pots or in the ground. This part of vegetable garden planning can be tricky, but it’s not impossible to get it right the first time.

You’ll need to determine whether the soil in the ground around your new home can house plants and vegetables, or if there is a space on your land that you can create a suitable space for your veggies yourself. Planting in ground should be done only if you’ve got at least 6 inches of top soil covering a soft, soil based ground. Otherwise vegetables cannot flourish in the ground and the water they need cannot be absorbed and saved in the soil to keep everything healthy and flourishing.

If your land doesn’t fit the mentioned requirements, you should consider growing your vegetables in pots. Use big pots that allow for at least 12 inches of soil, and simply place the pots in clusters to create the garden look, and you’ll find that this way of planning your vegetable garden will produce just as many veggies as if they were planted in the ground.

Research

Before planning your vegetable garden, it’s important that you research every aspect of your plan. You can do this by picking up a good book about creating a garden from scratch, some good choices are:

Vegetable Gardening: A Complete Guide to Creating a Bountiful Vegetable Garden
About $21.00 from Reader’s Digest

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening
About $15.00 by Louise Riotte

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
About $25.00 by Suzanne Ashworth

Related posts:

1. Researching a Vegetable Garden Plan
2. Creating and Maintaining a Small Vegetable Garden
3. Planning a Home Vegetable Gardening Well Will Help Make A Home Look More Attractive