We usually live in a world where everything goes very fast and where most people live in urban spaces. And this leads to a little contact with nature. What can we do to prevent this from happening? We can do our bit by creating our own home garden. Do you have any idea how to do that? Before giving you the guidelines, from CHG we want to tell you all the good that will bring you so that you have even more desire to make it.
Why have an orchard at home?
- As we mentioned, one of the main reasons for starting an orchard at home is to be closer to nature. We live so fast and do so many things that we pay little attention to it and it shouldn’t be like that, we need to be in touch with nature!
- By having our garden at home we’ll contribute to the environment and to our health. We’ll start eating in a healthier way as we’ll get healthier, more nutritious and tastier food. We’ll avoid pesticides and rapid production chains.
- By creating it we’ll learn about plants and vegetables and so will our children (if we have). Besides, we’ll have fun making it and we’ll have a new way of escaping from our routine: a new way of distraction and of charging batteries.
How to put up our own home orchard
1. Choose the place
The first thing we have to do is find the place where we’ll make it. Is it essential to be outside? It’s better but not compulsory. There are many seeds that can mature indoors, so if you don’t have a garden or a terrace, you also have the option of having a vegetable orchard at home.
The main thing for choosing the location is that it has direct light. Do you remember when they explained to you at school about photosynthesis? Well, now you can use that knowledge. All plants (and here we include vegetables) need sunlight to obtain energy through photosynthesis. That is why it is so important that the sun’s rays reach them.
Does everything we plant need the same light? No. Some plants need it more than others. That’s why, depending on the light we have at home, we’ll choose the vegetables we’ll plant. Which ones need more sunshine? Aubergines, tomatoes and peppers need more light. On the other hand, other products such as lettuce, onions or strawberries do not need so much sun.
2. Choose the container in which to place the plants
If we have a garden, the soil itself will be our container. If we do not have a plot for this, we’ll have to use cultivation containers and organic substrates (the substrates are the support of the plant, where its roots develop and where they are supplied with water and nutrients).
These containers, if you have little space, can be small in size since urban orchard crops do not require much depth. A pot, a box, a gutter… about 7 to 15 cm high will be enough to plant almost everything.
Once we have found a good container, we must acquire soil and fertilizer. If we have a garden, we’ll have to clear the soil of weeds and bushes with a rake. Otherwise, we can buy the soil from any specialty store. After this we’ll have to put the fertilizer to enrich the soil (this can be bought or made homemade with organic remains such as potato remains, manure, ashes, fruit remains, etc.).
After this it will be time to choose what we want to plant. To do this, we advise you to think very carefully about what you want to plant and inform yourself about its care so that you know if it is a good idea to grow it at your home.
Choose the type of irrigation
As you well know, water is fundamental for plants. For this reason we must think carefully about how we are going to hydrate them. Especially if we put up our orchard at home as water is more easily exhausted than in the ground (where we have to be less attentive to watering).
If we are going to be always in our house, the best solution is that we water the plants with a watering can and do it little by little to avoid the formation of cracks in the substrate. The objective of watering in small doses but with assiduity is also that the soil is always kept humid.
If we can’t take care of the plants as much, if we have a large garden or if we live in an area with a lot of heat or sun, the most correct option is the drip irrigation system with a programmer to maintain perfect humidity at all times.
What do you think? Are you going to start your home orchard? Without a doubt, a good way to feed ourselves in a healthy way and also to be entertained at home, especially at this time.
