Seeds are easy to lose of so mark courses where you'll be planting. The easiest way to accomplish this is with a piece of string and two stakes. Just place a stake at one end of the row, tie the twine to it and run it to the other end of the row. Tie off the string and your row is obvious. Do this before planting for all your rows and you will be able to plant easily. It also makes it much easier later to see what is coming up and keeps you from treading on the row.



Plant the full row of seeds and cover with a slight layer of dirt. After planting, lightly water the seeds. A light sprinkler or hand held wand sprayer on a mist adjustment works well. Don't over-water or you'll wash the seeds right out of the ground. The consequence could be no plants growing in your garden, or a pumpkin growing in the grass. Instead, water gently, yet frequently. Keeping the seeds moist is the most beneficial way to get them going so water a couple of times a day for the beginning few days.

When planting seedlings, begin in early morning or in the evening. Never plant in mid day with the sunshine beating down. Dig a hole decent enough for the plant root to fit in. Don't bury it too deep and don't leave the roots exposed to the air. Pack dirt firmly around the root area and add mulch around the base of the plant. Then, water thoroughly. The mulch will assist to keep the humidity around the plant higher and help it get acclimatized. It also keeps the root area damp, keeping the plant from drooping.

If you are planting seeds, hold off until the plants are a couple of inches tall and then add mulch around them as well. Straw works peachy and is rather easy to obtain from a local farmer. Just spread the straw round the plants in a 2-4 inch thick layer. Keep it from covering up the plants themselves, just make them a small hole to poke out of. Water the straw to a great extent once layed down. The straw will act to keep moisture in and block out weeds and it creates a decent surface to walk or kneel on as well.

Most souls are uncertain of how to decently water their garden plot and water too much, too little or at the incorrect time of day. The best time to water your garden is in the evening as the sun fades or very early in the morning. Never water with a sprinkler or spray the foliage directly. You could sunburn your plant leaves. Sounds strange, but it's true, water drops on plant leaves amplify sunshine like a magnifying glass. The results are brown, dead, burnt spots on leaves. Early morning sprinkler watering allows for the water to evaporate and not cook the leaves. Nights are best for slow, drip watering as it permits the plant to soundly soak up the moisture.

Contribute compost to your garden patch to help feed your plants as they grow. Also consider employing other organics such as cow or horse manure. They add a boost of nitrogen to your soil and promote vigorous plant development and high rewards at harvest.

Throughout your growing season, check your plants for dead foliage and other problems. Keep the weed population down by pulling them and adding them to the compost. Keep your plants from drying out by adding mulch as needed. Water on a steady, consistent schedule and keep your plants fertilized. Your garden will show you just how happy it is by growing strong and producing a healthy harvest at the end of the growing season.