Starting Your First Garden
There are many good reasons for growing your own vegetables in a
garden. There is a certain satisfaction and sense of accomplishment
when you eat food that you grown yourself. There are also many
undeniable health benefits from eating fresh vegetables in
comparison to canned or frozen ones. If you do it right you can also
save some money on your grocery bill.
The first thing you will need to do is to select a location in your
yard to plant your garden. There are several critical factors that
you will want to take into consideration when choosing the location
for your garden. The first and one of the most critical is the
amount of sunlight the area receives. Vegetables need plenty of
sunlight to grow and thrive.
You will want to select an area that
receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight a day. Soil drainage is
another important factor you will need to consider. Plants will of
course need water to grow but most plants will not grow well in an
area that is too wet.
The final thing to keep in mind is the actual
soil quality. Modern fertilizers can do a lot to help make up for
less than prime soil but there are limits to what they can
accomplish too. If the soil is very sandy or rocky or if it is
mainly clay you will have very little success growing your
vegetables in it.
Once you have selected the location for your garden you will need to
prepare the soil. You will want to use a tiller to break up the soil
into fine loose particles. You cannot till when the ground is too
wet, the dirt needs to be fairly dry to successful till it. If this
is the first time an area has been tilled it may take multiple
passes to get it ready for planting.
You may also need to rake out
any grass and weeds after it has been tilled. Once the soil is the
proper consistency you will want to fertilize it before you plant.
There are numerous quality fertilizers available at any home and
garden store. Simply select one and follow the directions provided
on the package.
Now you will need to select the plants that you want to plant in
your garden. When selecting your plants you will obviously want to
base part of your decision-making on what vegetables that you like
to eat.
You will need to consider the weather in your area and only
select plants that are suitable to your region. Another factor to
remember is the amount of space the plants need as well as how
difficult they are to grow successfully.
After you have your plants selected and you have purchased the seeds
you are now ready to plant them. You will want to use a string and a
couple stakes to help you lay out nice even rows.
Remember to plant
any perennial plants together at one end of the garden to make
tilling around them next year easier. Then carefully follow the
directions provided with each of the packets of seeds. Keep the soil
moist and wait until your first sprouts start to show.
by Steve Welker
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