It is important to master the basic steps for growing crops because will bring increased crop yields. If you learn the basic steps in crop growing, you will be able to benefit from the crop yields. Timing. Is the key factor which is important in crop growth. Timing enables you to plan early for the planting season so that the crops are grown on time without any delay enabling the crops to get enough rainfall. This will help to attain a good harvest or quality crop harvests.
Ploughing of the garden before planting is important because the soil will be able to retain water in large quantities in the rainy season.
Quality seeds selection. Quality seeds if planted may grow on time. The quality seeds are treated and don't contain any pests.
Raising seedlings in a nursery bed before transplanting. Examples of seeds that can be raised in a nursery bed before being transplanted in the main garden include the following;
Cabbage seeds.
Tomato seeds.
Eggplant seeds.
Onion seeds.
You can use the following procedures to prepare a nursery bed for seedlings:
Choose an area that receives enough sunlight.
Make sure that the soil in the area is well-drained. The soil should not be waterlogged.
Remove the stones and weeds from the soil.
Loosen the topsoil in the nursery bed using a garden fork.
Rake the soil to form a smooth surface.
Add manure to the soil to make it fertile.
You can also mix charcoal dust and ash on the soil. This will help to correct the soil acidity and also prevent the worms from invading the nursery bed.
You can then create a raised bed around the nursery area using wood.
Water the nursery bed thoroughly.
Then sow the seeds.
The seeds should be planted in rows at a space of 15cm.
Water the nursery bed regularly until the seeds germinate and grow.
The seedlings in a nursery bed should grow between 21 to 30 days before being transplanted to the main garden.
Pest control. In order to have a good crop harvest you must control the pests which could attack the crops which are still growing. You can opt for organic pesticides to be used to spray the crop pests.
Adding fertilizers to the soil where the crops are to be grown. This will help the crops to grow well. You can use organic fertilizers like Cow Dung to spread on the whole garden so that the soil gains more fertility.
Weed control. Removing the weeds which have grown in the crop garden is important because it helps the crops to gain more nutrients from the soil. Removing the weeds from the crop garden will also prevent competition for sunlight. This will enable the crops to get enough sunlight since the weeds will be removed from the crop garden.
Harvesting of food crops.
Food crops
Harvest Period
Ground nuts
4 months
Beans
2 months
Maize
4 months
Sweet potatoes
4 to 6 months
Cassava
6 months to 1 year
Irish potatoes
3 months
Cabbages
6 months
Soybeans
4 months
Cowpeas
4 months
Preservation of the food crops. The dried food crops such as beans and maize after the harvest period should be sealed in bags and kept in a dry place.
In conclusion, how to grow your own food will depend on how prepared are you in the rainy season.