Print Article for : Planting A Vegetable Garden

Your Online Guide » Gardening Guide » Vegetable Garden

[P442]Planting A Vegetable Garden

by Jena Luthovski, Jen

First you should plan out your garden. One thing you will want to consider for a home vegetable garden is sunlight. Vegetable crops need a lot of sun, about six hours of full sunlight a day. For convenience, placing your garden near your water source, and near your house are good ideas as well, if possible. Draw a chart of your garden and plan out what crops will go where. If this is your first try at vegetable gardening, it is a good idea to start small so you can see how much time and work it will require. Plant crops that your family really likes in quantities that will be manageable to grow and use.

If you want good crops, you need good soil. Preparing your garden bed is the next step to a successful garden. Some preparation in the fall, like tilling, or loosening up the soil, will make it easier to get ready in the spring and will allow you to start some plants out earlier. For optimal results, have your soil tested to see if it is acidic, what nutrients it has, etc. This will help you decide how and how much to fertilize your garden. If you don't want to have your soil tested, ask the local gardening or seed store about local conditions. They should be able to give you a good idea of what is typical in your area. When you fertilize, pay close attention to recommended amounts and ratios of fertilizer to soil or size of your garden bed. Too much fertilizer will burn and kill your plants.

Now you can lay out your garden. Use stakes and string to create straight rows so you will know where your seeds are before they come up. Put up wire hoops or trellises for tomatoes, beans, and other plants that climb. Make soil mounds for tender vine crops like cucumbers and pumpkins. Whether you are planting seeds or plants that you have purchased or started indoors, make sure that you leave enough space between plants so they can get adequate sunlight, and not be competing with their neighbors for water and soil nutrients.

With a little forethought, you can end up with an enjoyable hobby that feeds your family, too!

The first thing you need to do is figure out how much space you have for a vegetable garden. This will in part determine what you can grow. Some plants take more room or need more sunlight.

With your space considerations in mind you can start looking at the plants you want to grow. If you're focusing on containers, tomatoes are a popular choice. Some people even hang them in a planter with a hole in the bottom, with the tomato plant hanging upside down out from the hole.

If you are planting your garden in the ground, you will want to be prepared to battle weeds. Start out by clearing all the weeds out before you start your garden. Get as many of the roots out as possible.

On the other hand, if you are starting from containers your main concern will be choosing appropriately sized containers. Your garden center professionals should be able to help you choose these as well as the appropriate potting soils.

Depending on how early or late you start, you may have the option of starting from seeds or heading over to the garden center to pick out young plants for your garden. Picking already started plants is much easier in many ways, and some centers guarantee the plants, so if they die you can get a refund or replacement.

Some of the work you will do for your garden will depend on your situation and what you want to do. If you want to go organic, starting your own compost pile is a good idea, provided you have the room. If you want minimal effort, you won't want plants that need special attention. All plants need water, of course.

You will have to keep special watch on your plants when the hottest days of summer strike. A few hot days can cause your entire garden to wilt if you aren't paying enough attention to soil moisture levels.

One of the best things you can do is to get your family involved. Even very young children can quickly learn how to harvest some vegetables, or help to set up the hose for watering.

There are few pleasures like fresh vegetables from your own garden. Veggies from the grocery store simply cannot compare. There's also the simple pleasure of making plants grow. It's an activity you can enjoy alone or with your entire family.

Article Source : Vegetable Garden

About Author

Both Jena Luthovski & Stephanie Foster are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Jena Luthovski has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Recreation and Sports and Consumer. Jena Luthowski writes about ,. Jena Luthovski's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Stephanie Foster has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Shopping and Pets. Stephanie Foster blogs at about the pleasures of gardening at home. Check her. Stephanie Foster's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.