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How to Plan and Start Your Vegetable Garden

April 28, 2009 by Vegetable7 Leave a Comment

This terrific Dummies.com video takes you through all the steps you need to plan and plant your a vegetable garden.

You’ll need to find a sunny space, with at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. And you also want a spot that drains and isn’t always soggy. Soggy spots can cause plant diseases and can make your roots rot.

You want soil that isn’t too sandy, or isn’t too clay like. Good quality soil will crumble in your hand. Adding compost is a great way to improve any kind of soil, whether it has too much sand, or clay.

Plant your rows from north to south, so that they get the most sun during the day. Put taller plants against fences or at the north end, so that they don’t shade the smaller plants.

Start your garden small and expand gradually, so that you don’t get overwhelmed and quit.

At your local nursery, they will be familiar with the type of soil in your area, if you don’t know what kind you have.

You can start plants from seeds, or from starter plants. Follow the instructions on the seed packets or the plant label for the time of year to plant for your gardening zone.

Testing your soil, a key to vegetable gardening success

April 26, 2009 by Vegetable7 Leave a Comment

P Allen Smith explains that winter is often a good time to test your soil, since not too much goes on in the garden during the cold weather.

Healthy soil is the key to any kind of successful gardening, so it’s good test yours and make sure it’s healthy and balanced. You’ll learn if the soil is acidic or alkaline, and the NPK levels.

You can take samples of your soil and send it to your local county extension agent to get it tested, but they are often busiest in the spring. So doing it in the winter gives you time to correct any issues, and also beats the crowd.

You can also purchase electronic soil testers that can measure your soil to check the pH, the NPK levels, and even measure how much sunlight you’re getting in a certain spot.

Where to locate your vegetable garden

April 24, 2009 by Vegetable7 Leave a Comment

This great video explains how to pick the best spot for your vegetable garden.

You’ll need to find a spot that gets at least a full 8 hours of sun per day for a successful vegetable garden. Without enough sun, your vegetables just won’t do well.

Doug also points out that the slope is another thing to think about. It’s best to have a flat area, because it’s difficult to keep a steep slope watered well.

You’ll want to study your yard to find the sunniest spot. If you don’t have time to hang around and take note, try using something like the Sun Stick, a special device that measures how much sunlight a particular area gets over the course of a day.