2021 Spring Home and Garden

2021 Spring Home & Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April 22, 2021 Page 19 Pay attention to your soil and its nutrients. “The soil in a garden is depleted at a much faster rate than in larger gardens or farms. You will therefore need to add organic compost and to top dress the soil in your garden.” This also means rotating crops if you can. Growing crops vertically maximizes use of space, leads to better management of pests, enhanced yields and an easier harvesting process. Conduct a full pH test of the soil in your garden. This will help you to determine the best plants for your soil. Finally, it is better to begin with a small garden that is easy to manage. “You can then expand after each season and experiment with different plants in order to learn what grows best on your backyard garden.” These are just a few examples of the resources out there on starting vegetable gardens. With a basic search and a bit of trial and error, anyone can start growing fresh vegetables right outside their door. [Derek Hurley]