Gardening

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) encouraged members "to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property. Berry bushes, grapevines, fruit trees—plant them if your climate is right for their growth. Grow vegetables and eat them from your own yard. Even those residing in apartments … can generally grow a little food in pots and planters. Study the best methods of providing your own foods. Make your garden … neat and attractive as well as productive. If there are children in your home, involve them in the process with assigned responsibilities.”

There are many methods of gardening that you can study about and decide which works best for you - deep cultivation, no-till, container gardening, raised beds, pots, sustainable, organic, and so on.  Factors that would influence your decision would be equipment/tools needed, space available, your physical ability, and cost. Start small.

We really do not have space and ability to cover all these gardening methods.  Our best recommendation is to look for gardening videos on YouTube, and search online for reliable books on the kind of gardening you are interested in.   Please know that some of these methods overlap.

SUN - SOIL - WATER

SUN:  A spot with full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight is best.  The more sun the better.

SOIL:  Avoid rocky areas, or clay soil.  The soil should drain well. You may want to get a soil test for the area you choose.

WATER:  Is water easily accessible to your garden?  Ease of watering will make your job easier.  Some may flood irrigate, some sprinkle, some drip irrigation.  Do whatever is best for you, and your situation.

SEEDS:

Buy seeds and plants from reliable nurseries and seed companies. You can purchase your seeds from a variety of seed companies that can be found online.  Talk with gardeners you know for recommendations.  

Make a list of the vegetables you would like to grow. Plant what you like and what you will eat.  (Unfortunately, I have not found chocolate seeds or my garden would be full of it.)

As part of self-reliance/emergency preparedness consider storing Heirloom seeds because they can be saved and planted the next season.

Make a plan of the layout of your garden; determine placement and spacing needed for each vegetable.  A gardening journal will help you remember seeds, successes, failures, and new information from year to year.

WEED CONTROL:  Weeds compete for the nutrients in the soil so it is important to irradicate them while they are small.  You can carefully hoe, or hand pick them.  You will need to do it at least weekly.  You can take your hoe with you on your daily inspection of your garden and quickly attack unwanted invaders. 

PEST & DISEASE CONTROL:  Garden pests and/or disease can spread through a crop very quickly if not spotted in time.  Daily walks through your garden looking for "bad bugs" or evidence of disease such as wilting leaves, spotted or yellowing leaves, leaf holes, or mass of bugs can help you keep on top of things.  Don't be quick to spray with chemicals.  Research ways to control the issues without harmful sprays.  Ask experienced for help too.  

HARVEST:  If you are not sure of the best time to harvest a specific vegetable, look online or in gardening books for help to know when to pick.  Picking at the peak of ripeness makes a significant difference in the flavor, and preserving.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR?

Whether you bottle, freeze, dehydrate, freeze dry, preserving the harvest will benefit your family when the growing season is over.  It is a skill worth developing but does require start up cost.  Preserving your own food can be satisfying - you know what you put up, and the quality of it.  Here are a couple of reliable resources to help you:

National Center for Home Food Preservation (uga.edu)

Ball Canning and Preserving Guides (ballmasonjars.com)

Enjoy the experience!  Continue to study and learn.