Preparing A Vegetable Garden
Tim Birch
When planning a vegetable garden the first step is always finding the
ideal spot. Most vegetables require lots of sun so choose a location
with a southern exposure. Ideally the sunlight is distributed as evenly
as possible for the longest period of time. Southern exposure is
perfect since the sun shines evenly on each side. North facing shady
gardens are fine for ferns and other woodland plants but they are
generally not suitable for vegetables and some flowers.
Its always best to plan a garden on paper before planting. Each type of
seed will have individual planting requirements, such as spacing and
planting depth. If you know before hand the size of your garden you'll
be able to determine the number of seeds needed and can plan
accordingly. Alternately, if you already have your seed and know the
spacing requirements, you will be able calculate the appropriate size
garden.
New garden area are likely to be covered with turf grasses. Large
garden areas can be tilled and the sod turned under. In small gardens,
however, you should remove the sod. To do this cut the edges of the
garden with the spade. Then cut narrow strips approximately 1 or 2 feet
wide. Sod cut in this way can easily be removed.
Don't throw the sod away, rather sift through the newly tilled garden,
pick out the pieces of sod, shake them well and add them to the compost
pile. Compost is the ideal soil conditioner for a vegetable garden so
throughout the growing season add your garden clippings to the pile. As
you remove the sod, break up the big clumps of soil which are left
behind. The garden must be tilled well in order to create suitable
conditions for planting seed. A seed planted in chunks of soil will
rarely survive. Use a grading rake to smooth out the soil once the
ground is properly tilled. Once ground is level and smooth, the garden
is ready to be planted.
Some spaces may be too rocky to be useful as a vegetable garden. In
this case raised beds are necessary. Building raised beds can extend
the growing season since the soil is able warm up sooner than the rest
of the garden. They also offer better drainage and deep topsoil with
little compaction. If you add compost to your garden each year a raised
bed may occur naturally. Raised beds are easy to care for and they are
protected from the encroaching grass and weeds of its surrounding
environment.
In gardens which receive southern exposure vegetables and flowers
should be planted in rows which run north and south so the plants are
able to receive the sun's rays during the morning on the eastern side,
and during the afternoon on the western side. Planted this way, your
vegetable will grow more evenly. In order to get the best distribution
of sunlight in a garden facing southeast run the rows northwest and
southeast. Thoughtful planning and proper planting techniques will
result in a successful, productive vegetable garden as well as a very
satisfying endeavor for the gardener.
Tim Birch is the publisher of
http://www.gardenlistings.com . For
information on all kinds of garden projects visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/
Resources.htm
See Also:
Index of Gardens & Gardening
All About Organic Gardening
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