How to Plan and Start Your Vegetable Garden

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.