By Jennifer Poindexter
Do you garden for a hobby , to save money , or both ?
I ’m one who fall into the “ both ” category . I delight growing my own food . I like knowing where it occur from , but I also love the saving I see on my grocery eyeshade .
We found a list of some of themost consumed vegetablesand require to share it with you . If you corrode these veggie regularly , you might be capable to redeem a bundle by turn them yourself .
Here are the most consumed veggie and how you could start out develop them in your garden .
1. Potatoes
tater are the most consumed veggie in the United States . This should n’t be surprising considering they work wonderfully as a side dish , in multiple shape , and as a snack because most people love potato crisp .
If you’reinterested in raising potatoes , they do well in planting geographical zone three through ten . If you live in cooler areas , they ’re usually grown as an other spring crop . In warmer climates , they ’re plant in both fall or outpouring .
Potatoes need to be planted in full sun and prefer sandy soil that ’s well - draining . They require minimal forethought . If you water them regularly , using the abstruse watering method acting to encourage impregnable roots , and supply them with plant food on a regular basis they should have what they take to produce well .
This crop will face a few menace , from aphids , rat , and blight . get wind how to treat these pests and disease effectively to encourage a goodish harvest .
Once the top of the plant have dried and fallen over , you ’ll know the potatoes have wind up growing . At this point , you should carefully dig the potato out of the primer coat , sweep the large clump of dirt from them , and store them .
white potato can be stacked in containers with layers of straw separating them . salt away the container in a cool , dry location . The straw will stop the potato from touching which deters rot .
Do check your harvest weekly to assure no rot has formed . revel your hard work , favourite sweetheart , and the money keep open when you no longer need to buy Solanum tuberosum from someone else .
2. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are what we produce mostin our family garden . Why ? Because you’re able to do so much with them . We make our own salsa , tomato sauce , oppress tomatoes , tomato powder from the dehydrated skins , tomato juice , and even dehydrated tomatoes .
This allow us the chance to have the sweet tomato flavour all year long . Plus , it keep a cracking mountain of money because purchasing tomatoes can become pricy , if you use as many of them as we do .
grow tomatoes is n’t overly complicated . tomato need full Lord’s Day and well - draining soil . They raise best in planting zones four through eleven .
you could choose between determinate varieties , the plants you know how bombastic they ’ll become , or indeterminate varieties , those you do n’t eff how big they ’ll be .
Tomatoes also do n’t require a specific garden plot of land . They grow well in traditional garden bed , raised beds , container , and even upside down .
They should n’t be plant outside until all menace of frost has glide by . you may purchase seedling for transplant , or bulge your tomatoes from seed two months prior to the last frost appointment .
Once your tomatoes are planted , you ’ll require to provide them with plenty of weewee . Be sure to use the deep watering method .
Mulch around your tomato to keep weeds down and moisture in lieu around your plants . They should also be fecundate on a regular basis .
Be sure to provide some character of support for your love apple via cages , game , or the Florida Weave . This will hold the tomato good when its fruit becomes too heavy .
tomato face a miscellanea of threat around the garden . Common pests and diseases include aphid , hornworms , flea beetles , whiteflies , mosaic computer virus , blight , and flower oddment hogwash .
The good news is most of the pests can be treated with an insecticide . Blight can be treated with a antimycotic agent , and blossom end hogwash can be do by by providing more Ca to the stain by sprinkling powdered milk at the base of the plant .
However , if you point out mosaic computer virus in your tomatoes , you should pull in up any septic plants and throw away straight off .
When your tomato plant are firm and of the appropriate color , it ’s time to harvest them . Gently pick them from the plant and use them fresh , tinned , or even frozen .
Lycopersicon esculentum are a various craw which can be used in a variety of way around your kitchen . Plus , a homegrown tomato tastes awing . If you ’d like to cash in on savings and look , count raising your own tomatoes .
3. Onions
Onions are one of my preferent crop to rise , and it ’s no surprise they ’re heavily consumed . They provide exquisite flavor to soups , sweat , stir - shaver , go nifty with meat , are a nice improver on sandwiches , and can be enjoyed raw in a salad .
Though onions are n’t terribly expensive to buy , they ’re so well-situated to grow it stool you wonder why you should pass money you do n’t have to .
onion plant can be grown in spring or fall . They can thrive in a traditional garden setting , in rear bed , or even container .
The most important thing when raise onion is to render them with liberal , well - draining soil . The soil must permit water to fall aside from the bulb to avoid rot .
It also must be loose to give the bulb elbow room to elaborate . Like many crop , onion also prefer full sun in their growing blank .
Onions can be grown from seed or from a set which is a smaller bulb . It ’s a dissipated style of reaching harvest home time .
engraft your onions in the spring , after the scourge of frost is over . you may also implant them in the twilight when the temperature have cooled off , but the ground is still feasible .
onion are clayey feeders , so it ’s wise to contribute compost and a balanced fertilizer during the time of planting .
After your onions are plant , be sure to water them regularly . They take an inch of water per hebdomad . You should also mulch around your onion .
fecundate , once your onions have a half - dozen leaves , is significant to the sizing of your harvest . How many leaves your onions produce tells you how many rings the bulbs have . Each anchor ring arrive at the bulb big .
continue alert to some of the threats onions may face in your garden . The most common pests are aphids , thrips and onion plant maggot .
Thrips and aphids can be treated with an insecticide . Onion maggot call for placing mesh at the base of your onion plant to quash eggs being laid in the soil near your crop .
You ’ll know your onion are ready for harvest home when the leave have dry up and died back . At this point , cautiously dig the harvest out of the ground .
Allow the onions to cure in a ironical location for at least a workweek . Once done , they can be processed and stored in a Deepfreeze handbag for easy enjoyment .
If you ’d prefer to keep them whole , store them in a nerveless , dry location . Ensure there ’s a layer of shuck or sawdust between your onions to fend off bunk . You may also wish to hang them to allow air travel to circulate around the onions while wait for manipulation .
4. Carrots
Carrots are an easy harvest to develop . They require loose , well - debilitate grime and full sunshine . I grow my carrots in containers to ensure the soil is loose enough .
If you ’d prefer to rise them in the footing , ensure the soil is relax a metrical unit below where you ’re implant .
Carrots should be direct sown into their grow location . Lightly cover the semen with soil because they need light for germination .
Water them lightly for a dyad of week to facilitate breakdown the protective barrier on the seed . It should take three weeks for sprouting to go on .
carrot need an inch of urine per calendar week . Mulching will help to keep weeds down and moisture in the plants .
They should also be fertilized one month after planting . control the fertilizer is humble - nitrogen while higher in phosphate and K .
This is the proper combination to check that the nutrients facilitate what ’s grow beneath the ground or else of only making sure the Daucus carota sativa summit are bright and shaggy-coated .
When raising Daucus carota sativa you should be mindful of black canker and aster yellow disease . You should also be aware of carrot rust flies , flea beetles , and root - mile nematodes .
After two and a half month , your carrot should be ready to harvest . you may safely leave them in the ground until you ’re quick to expend them .
insensate weather helps sweeten their flavor . If you ’d prefer to harvest them all at once , carefully delve them out of the ground , brush the grunge off , and bring them indoors .
you could store them in the refrigerator until you ’re ready to expend , suspend them , can them for late utilization , or store them in a nerveless , teetotal location . verify you utilise husk to separate the layer in the containers if stack away in a root cellar or basement .
5. Head Lettuce
It should come as no surprisal that many people devour forefront wampum . This harvest give-up the ghost great in salads or on sandwich .
Head lettuce can be grownin most planting zone when the temperatures are between sixty- and seventy - degree Fahrenheit .
Lettuce should be engraft in full sun and in well - enfeeble soil . you’re able to channelise sow the seeds into their bed or start the germ indoors and transplant .
You ’ll take more or less one foot of space between plants . After you ’ve flummox lettuce in position , your only fear item is to irrigate it .
The difference with gelt is the root should be shallow . Therefore , you wo n’t use the mysterious lachrymation method . Instead , you ’ll water supply lightly and frequently .
Lettuce does face a few scourge . aphid and slug enjoy your clams harvest time as much as you do . Treat them with an insecticide to keep your crops good .
Tipburn is another threat you must handle . When the summit of the lettuce leave turn brownish , it ’s from temporary lachrymation . Water your crops regularly to avoid this .
Lettuce should be ready to harvest within one to two month after plant . Cut the head at soil level , take indoors , rinse , and enjoy !
6. Sweet Corn
sweet-smelling corn whisky is n’t a difficult craw to grow . It necessitate to be planted in well - drain soil and where it will have passable sunlight .
It should be now inseminate , after all menace of frost has passed , into an inground garden space . Do n’t plant long rowing of corn .
alternatively , plant the corn in multiple shorter course where it spring a box . This help oneself with pollination . There should be one foot of place between each flora to assure you receive an adequate harvest home . Plant your corn too closely and the ear wo n’t organise decently .
Sweet corn call for one inch of H2O per workweek . At times , it may need more . you may apply the deep watering method , but if your Zea mays begins to droop , be inclined to irrigate more often than you might with other crops .
Mulching will help to keep the weeds down and moisture in place . Fertilize the corn with a balanced fertilizer once the plant are two - feet tall .
When growing dulcet corn be on guard of leafage spot , leaf blight , mariner spot , and rust fungus . You should also be aware of earworms , corn borers , armyworms , and flea beetles .
Watch for your corn to form tassels . Three weeks after this has occur , it ’s time to harvest . Remove the capitulum from the corn and store them in their husk in your refrigerator if you ’ll be eating them within a daylight or two .
If not , husk the corn , silk it , and salt away it in deep freezer bagful for recent us . you could also carry on corn via give the sack .
7. Leaf Lettuce
Our finalvegetable is foliage clams . I love leaf lettuce because it ’s extremely uncomplicated to grow . Like most moolah varieties , it prefers cool temperatures .
It can be grow in an inground bed , raised bottom , or containers . I usually raise mine in containers because I can get quite a harvesting without using a groovy deal of space .
secure the grunge is nutrient - impenetrable , loosened , and well - draining . The leaf lettuce will also need full sunshine .
Direct sow the seeds in the grunge and lightly cover . Water the seeds lightly and frequently . Leaf lolly has shallow roots , so it does n’t handle the deep lacrimation method acting well .
It should take the craw two month to be ready for harvest . Some of the most plebeian threats to leaf lettuce are aphids and coney .
you may deal aphid with an insect powder . Rabbits can be solved with equal fencing fence your lettuce .
When it ’s time to reap the crop , employ pair of scissors to geld the leaf aside from the base of the plant life . make for it indoors , wash , and enjoy !
These are the most consumed vegetables by hoi polloi around the United States . If you witness that you eat many of these vegetables , too , it might be prudent of you to consider growing them .
Not only will it allow you to have a just hold on what ’s happening to your intellectual nourishment before you eat it , but it could hold open money as well . Take this selective information under consideration and lead off drawing up a unexampled gardening plan which include some of the veggies you consume most .
More About the Most Consumed Vegetables
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html
