A Quick Overview

Starting a new garden can be daunting. It needn’t be, though. Follow a few simple steps correctly, and you are ready to plant your seeds. What steps, you ask? These steps:

• Chose a site
• Plan your garden
• Prepare the Soil
• Add Organic Matter
• Irrigation and Drainage
• Problem Control
• Cover Crops

The site you choose needs to have certain characteristics for your garden to succeed. Your plot needs to be near a source of water or you cannot provide the vegetables with enough water to flourish . Hauling water gets old really fast, so either a spigot and hose or a pond with a pump are your best options. The site also needs to get at least six hours of sun a day. I’ll repeat this important sentence throughout these instructions. Finally, the site needs to be near the house. You are more likely to forget to weed or water if you cannot see the garden. Too, coyotes and deer are more likely to help themselves to your produce if you are far away.

Next plan your garden. First you plan on paper. Or you can use one of the programs that put plants the right distance away, such as plan your garden or grow vegetables. Consider the planting and harvest dates for your area. Your county extension agent will have those. Next, order the seeds in time to plant. Waiting until the last minute means rush postage charges or late planting. Some plants, such as tomatoes and marigolds, work together well to reduce pests on both plants. Other plants, such as dill and fennel, interbreed or do not do well together. Plant companions together and enemies apart. Finally, each year rotate your crops by plant family to keep pests down.