Thinking about setting up a vegetable garden at home? These tips are for you!

Contact with nature is no longer a simple trend, but has become a necessity and a form of personal satisfaction. It is no coincidence that urban forests are multiplying in homes around the world. Along with this desire, home gardens are also increasingly popular. more space and new followers. It combines business with pleasure, bringing a little more greenery into your home while growing pesticide-free food, herbs and spices. Landscapers João Jadão and Catê Poli are fans of the practice and even designed the Chefs' Garden at CASACOR São Paulo 2019. The 250 m² space featured a special vegetable garden, created in honor of chefs Janaína and Jefferson Rueda, partners at Bar Dona Onça, A Casa do Porco and Hot Pork, in the capital of São Paulo. The garden took advantage of local trees and brought a composition with foliage and tropical species, as well as a selection of fruit trees, edible flowers and spices.

Regarding planting, the duo states that it can be done directly in the ground or in small pots. João Jadão warns that, when planting in pots, they need to be at least 30 x 30 cm. “Small pots do not hold soil, nutrients or sufficient humidity. Therefore, they do not last long”, he explains.

What to plant?

For beginners, João Jadão is frank and states that vegetables are difficult to grow. The best option would be to start with spices such as basil, rosemary, sage, lemongrass, oregano and thyme. In the case of basil, for example, you can plant the seed or take branches from adult plants. The ideal is to plant it in warm temperatures. “Irrigation should be done every day so that the soil is always moist. The leaves can be harvested in about two months”, says Catê. Rosemary requires more frequent watering at the beginning of planting, becoming more spaced out over time. “After three months, it is ready to harvest. But do not remove the entire branch, so as not to harm the growth of the others”, explains the landscaper.

Other care

For planting and harvesting to be satisfactory, the duo emphasizes that it is necessary to have well-fertilized soil with a good amount of organic matter. “It needs to be loose and cannot be clayey or sandy,” explains João. Furthermore, the harvest time depends on each species. Just don't forget to water, loosen and, if necessary, apply pesticides to avoid possible pests. Preferably, natural ones. "We have some made with tobacco that work really well for this mission. and do not harm”, reveals Catê Poli. “Planting, caring for, watching the food grow until the moment it is on the plate is very special. The whole family can participate and experience this process”, she concludes.