It's not just the effect of Ondoy. With rising fuel costs, food prices–especially those of vegetables–are also steadily going up. It's the perfect time to start your own backyard garden. Home-grown vegetables could offer a cheaper alternative to supermarket prices, and well, wouldn't it be nice to have your own juicy tomatoes growing just outside your window?
While it does need commitment, gardening your way to a healthier and fresher diet is easy and requires just an hour or two of your day once you've set up:
1. Start by choosing a nice, sunny patch of soil where your garden can thrive. For convenience, choose a spot near the kitchen so it wouldn't be too difficult to run out and pick a few herbs to go with the dinner you're cooking.
2. Decide which kinds of vegetables you would prefer to cultivate. Some common kitchen crops that are easy to grow: radish, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper, carrot and spinach. You can also grow a few herbs such as basil for pesto or rosemary for roast lamb. Crop rotation is important and beneficial, but amateur garden enthusiasts don't have to be so rigid about it during the first few years.
3. Taking care of your garden is easier than setting it up. A good time to water your plants is before and after the sun reaches its sweltering peak. Early morning is best, but late afternoon is also good as long as you give it enough time to dry before dusk settles. Make sure that your plants are getting about an inch of water each week. To keep track of the rain they are getting, you can use a tin can or rain gauge. Be careful not to water your plants too frequently, either; yellow and droopy leaves are tell-tale signs of excessive water. Pull out the weeds regularly to prevent them from stealing sunlight, water and root space from your crops.
Aside from ultimately saving a bundle of money on store-bought veggies, you might be able to reap a few health benefits as well. Yanking weeds and digging soil can be tedious, but it is good exercise. In 2002, University of Arkansas scientists found that gardening is one of the best forms of exercise because it increases bone density and prevents osteoporosis. Other studies have shown that it also decreases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Most importantly, growing vegetables in your garden will encourage you to incorporate fresh and healthy greens in your diet.
