How To Plant A Vegetable Garden

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How To Plant A Vegetable Garden

As spring rolls in there are always a number of people wondering how to plant a vegetable garden. Even if you've never done it before, you no doubt realize that planting a garden has a number of benefits. To some, it's almost therapeutic to be outside digging in the dirt. Food you grow yourself will taste better, and you know there are no harmful chemicals involved. But you should also know that a vegetable garden requires work.

For starters, you'll need some basic tools. Not that much really. A spake, fork trowel, hoe and rake will suffice for now. These are not expensive but it's a good idea to at least get a good brand. The really cheap ones simply will not last. Other things that will come in useful include a wheelbarrow and watering can. If this is your first vegetable garden and you plan on planting in a large area, some form of rotary cultivator is also good. This is not cheap, but you can rent them for a day if need be. You'll seriously want to consider this. It's a great time saver and your back will thank you. Of course you can also hire someone to do this part for you.

Now you have what you need to get started, but we're not quite ready yet. If you want a thriving garden you should know what kind of soil is in the area you will be planting. Get a soil tester. The soil type will have a major impact on how you treat it. Is your soil heavy in clay? Is it sandy? Light? Chalky? Alkaline? The type of soil will have a definite impact on what you grow. Every plant responds differently to the various soil types.

Now let's break up the soil. This has to be done because the air and water needs to get through and the seeds need to settle. You can do this using your spade unless the soil happens to be really hard. Then you'll want to use your fork. Remove the weeds and add some sort of fertilizer. The cheapest way here is to use some form of organic manure. You need to, in effect, feed the soil nutritious food. If possible, start a compost pile of your own nearby.

Finally we get to the fun stuff. It's time to start planting. Again a little planning here will go a long way. You'll want three distinct areas. One for root crops like potatoes, beetroot, carrots and onions. Another section is for brassica like sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. And the third section is for everything else like beans, corn, and peas, as well as salad crops like cucumbers and tomatoes.

Water and weed as necessary. Put up a wall chart if you need a reminder. Write your jobs on it every day and stick with it. As we said, it's a lot of work. But when you enjoy your first taste of your home grown vegetables, you'll find the work was more than worth it.

And for more specific guidance we highly recommend the Gardener's Handbook. You'll get all the information to keep not only your vegetable garden, but all your plant thriving for a very long time.