Awesome Tips for Producing a Bigger and Better Fruit and Veg Harvest

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is one of the best ways of becoming more self-reliant and avoiding using supermarkets and foreign produce. But often you can start a vegetable garden full of excitement, only to be disappointed by your eventual harvest. You might have been excited when you produced your first tomato, hurriedly cooking it into your favorite meal. And it takes a while to start collecting enough to provide you with food to eat and store. But if, after a while, you feel like you’re not getting as much out of your garden as you could, it’s time to take action. Don’t settle for tiny tomatoes and pathetic potatoes when you can try these tips to bring in a more plentiful harvest. There’s no need to worry if you’re attempting to grow organically either. It’s entirely possible to grow more, bigger and better fruit and veg without any nasty chemicals.

 

Fertilize Your Soil

First things first, it’s time to address your soil. You don’t need to use any special synthetic formulas to give your soil an extra boost. There are plenty of natural ways to make it rich in nutrients that are perfect for your plants. One way to get a deep, rich layer of soil is to use raised beds. Use compost or manure to make it fertile and give it quality structure. You can also test the pH and try to balance it out.

 

Make the Most of Your Space

If you want to produce as much fruit and veg as possible, you need to make the best use of your available space. Don’t let one square inch go to waste. The shape of your beds can make a difference. For example, you can get more space out of a raised bed if it’s rounded into an arc at the top. Another way to use more space is to grow vertically. Use plants that can climb a pole or trellis, such as tomatoes, strawberries or peas. You’ll have much more room and be able to produce a bigger harvest by not restricting your growing area to the ground.

 

Give Them More Light

For your indoor or greenhouse plants, extra light could give them the boost they need. It’s popular to use LED lights to stimulate photosynthesis, so your fruit and vegetables to grow come rain or shine. They can produce some surprising results and give you plenty of food to both use straight away and store for a later date. For example, there are some fantastic case studies on the HydroGrow LED website of bumper crops of vegetables, as well as flowers. Growing your plants in an indoor environment can give them better protection, especially when you don’t want to use any chemical pesticides.

 

Mix and Match

Another way to maximize space is to mix plants that grow harmoniously together. For example, if you grow corn, beans, and squash together, the stalks of the corn support the beans. The squash can grow along the ground, helping to keep weeds away. Find fruit and veg that’s compatible with your garden and will help each other to grow.

 
If you’re not satisfied with your harvest from your vegetable garden, do something about it. There’s plenty you can do to give it a boost.

Featured image by: Flickr/Oakley Originals