How to Start a Vegetable Garden on Your Deck

Have you been flirting with the idea of growing your own vegetables for consumption or sale? What better place to do so than on your deck? Deck gardens have several advantages over traditional ground level gardens For one thing, they use less water. For another they are usually plagued by fewer weeds. Finally, deck gardens are usually exposed to more sunlight than are ground level gardens. So, if you desire to test you green thumb this summer, read on to see how to start a vegetable garden on your deck.

• Get plenty of good containers: Your garden will require plenty of large containers that retain water but that also have adequate drainage holes. You may wish to use boxes made out of recyclable materials and objects that you already have around your home. Ceramic or terracotta planters are another alternative. They are attractive and utilitarian and can be purchased from craft stores such as Michael’s.
• Decide on which types of vegetable to grow: You have many choices when it comes to the kinds of vegetable you wish to grow in your deck garden. Some vegetable that are commonly grown in deck gardens include sweet pepper, turnips, beets, radishes, onions, tomatoes, Swiss chard, etc.
• Watering: Another advantage to a deck garden over a traditional garden is that water is usually only a few feet away from a deck garden. Just set up a watering system that is easy to access so that you can give your plants a regular watering.
• Maximize the available space: Since there is less room available in a deck garden than there is in a traditional garden, you will need to maximize the space that you do have. One way you can maximize available space is to build a planter box that hangs from a deck rail.
• Create a small work area: Set a small area of your deck aside where you can place your gardening implements. This will allow you to be able to tend and weed your plants quickly and efficiently when the need arises.

Finally, as long as you water your plants and maintain the soil around them on a regular basis, there is no reason that your garden deck can’t be as productive as a ground level garden. As deck contractors in Cranbury, NJ we know that deck gardens appeal to a great many people. They are attractive and practical. Moreover, as deck contractors in NJ we can design a deck for you that will be equally beautiful and functional.