Fight pandemic food fears by growing a garden

Perhaps you’re turning, or returning, to gardening as a way to ease concerns over food security as coronavirus slows harvests and affects food distribution. You’re not alone; so many people are gardening this spring that seed companies have struggled to keep up with demand for vegetable and fruit seeds.

Keep it simple

If you’re just starting out, or haven’t gardened in a while, keep your garden simple and workable. A too-large garden can easily overwhelm you and become a discouraging chore, and that’s when you’re more likely to give up on it. Instead, keep it manageable so you don’t have to spend too much time and effort on it.

Adjust to your needs

Start off with a garden measuring about 10×18 feet with eight to 10 different vegetable varieties. This size will easily feed a family of four to six. This is simply a guideline, however. Adjust your garden spot to fit your particular situation: family size, available space, amount of time you can spend in it, and the amount of work you’re willing to do.

Prepare for success

Keep it weeded, because weeds aggressively compete with your plants for water and nutrients in the soil, and make sure your plants get enough water. When harvest time comes, you’ll be amazed at your success — and the good food you put on your table.

I’ve created this simple garden plan to help get you started.

Garden plan
Use this plan to get started and adjust to your needs.