Planting A Garden – Doing The Job Right
If you've never planted a garden before, the idea may seem a little bit intimidating. You've got to figure out where to put the plants, how deep and wide to dig the hole, and get your newly purchased plants out of the pot they came in. For some, it's not a problem. But for a beginning gardener, it can seem like a big challenge. So let's take this step-by-step and walk you through the process.
The first thing you need to do is figure out where you will put the plants. You don't want to just haphazardly place them in your garden plot. So what you need to do is take the containers over to the area and just sit them down where you think they should go. Step back and take a look. If it doesn't look like you want it to, just move them around until everything looks perfect. Now leave the containers in place so you will be able to dig holes in the right area.
Hole digging may also seem a bit daunting. After all, you have to decide how deep to go and how wide the hole should be. You may be questioning what happens if you make the hole too big or too small. Well for starters, don't worry about making it too big. You can always put loose dirt back in to fill it up. Generally however you want the plant to be at the same level as the container. When you take the plant out of the container and place it in the hole, the soil should be at about the same level as it is in the container. In other words, dig the hole about the same depth as the container. Just a little deeper is better. The place some loose dirt at the bottom. Loose dirt will make it easier for the roots to burrow and take hold.
The same rule applies for width. Make it just a little wider than the container so to can place loose dirt around it to settle it in place.
Now it's time to take the plant out of the pot. Here's where most people get a little frightened. After all, you just spent money on these plants and they can be a bit fragile so you'll want to be gently. The best thing to do is lightly squeeze the sides. This will prevent the dirt from sticking to the pot. Now take hold of the plant's stem and start to turn the pot upside down. If all goes well, the plant, root and soil should just slide out into your hand. Sometimes however these things can be stubborn and don't want to fall out. If that's the case, just grab a pair of scissors and cut the pot.
You have reached the moment of truth. You are about to give the plants a home. Don't just take what fell out of the pot and place it in the hole. Instead you want to gently spread the roots. Do it over the hole so that any dirt that falls off will simply fall into place. If your roots are extremely compacted, you may need to tear a bit, but don't over do it. The goal here is to simply loosen the roots so they can grow down into your dirt. Once the roots are spread as much as possible, all you need to do is place the plant into the hole. Make sure the plant is straight up and down. You don't want it to lean over.
The plant soil level should be even with the top of the hole. Then use the dirt you dug up to fill in around the plant. You want the dirt to be firm but not overly compacted. Just pat it down enough to remove any air bubbles.
The last step is caring for your new plant. Depending on the richness of your soil, you may want to give it a bit of fertilizer just to get it started. As for watering, some people will dig a shallow moat around the plant, fill it with water, and let the water seep in. Once it drains, repeat. You may notice the soil settle a bit so be prepared to fill in a bit more dirt after watering.
For more tips on creating your dream garden be sure to check out The Gardener's Handbook.
Mail this post
April 23 2009 10:01 am | Gardening
