Beginner's Tips For A Successful Vegetable Garden

One of the best activities when the spring and summer comes around is to take advantage of the nice weather by planting a garden. You don't have to go crazy and plant a lot. Even if you plant just a few vegetables, you will begin to understand the enjoyment that many avid gardeners experience by doing this hobby. This article will discuss some basic tips that you can follow so that you can enjoy the produce that you have grown yourself. You might even be surprised at what a difference you will notice in taste and texture.

Planting a garden doesn't mean that your entire backyard needs to be composed of your vegetable garden. In fact sometimes, it is better to start small with a more manageable garden than to "bite off more than you can chew" so to speak. There is nothing wrong with having a garden that has just a few plants. In fact, it is better to have that than to have a garden that is way too big. You might end up getting frustrated with a huge garden to start off with. In the following article by the Farmer's Almanac, they discuss some pointers that you can take into consideration:

WHERE AND HOW TO PLANT A VEGETABLE GARDEN

Plant in a sunny location. Vegetables need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. The more sunlight they receive, the greater the harvest and the better the taste.
Plant in good soil. Plants’ roots penetrate soft soil easily, so you need nice loamy soil. Enriching your soil with compost provides needed nutrients. Proper drainage will ensure that water neither collects on top nor drains away too quickly.
Space your crops properly. For example, corn needs a lot of space and can overshadow shorter vegetables. Plants set too close together compete for sunlight, water, and nutrition and fail to mature. Pay attention to the spacing guidance on seed packets and plant tabs.
Buy high-quality seeds. Seed packets are less expensive than individual plants. If seeds don’t germinate, your money—and time—are wasted. A few “extra” cents spent in spring for that year’s seeds will pay off in higher yields at harvesttime.

Click here to see the rest of this article.

Most vegetables do best in the sun. However, be sure to research the type of plants that you are working with to make sure that you have the adequate amount of sunlight. For example, tomatoes love the sun but some herbs would prefer partial shade. It is always best to do a little homework. Find out when it is best to plant your vegetables. This means that you should also be aware of the best garden location. In the following article by The Telegraph, they share some tips on where the best location is for your garden.

Where To Garden

Give vegetables the sunniest spot you have. Sunshine makes for stocky, disease-resistant plants and sweeter flavoured onions, carrots, tomatoes and chillies. If you need shade, for salads or strawberries, it’s easy to create some with netting or a wattle fence.

Most ordinary garden soils are fine for veg growing, but avoid extremes. If your soil is thin – less than a spit deep (the length of your spade’s blade), or full of stones that cause your carrots to kink, build raised beds or grow crops in large pots. Clay soil is nutrient-rich and good for summer crops. But as this type of soil sits cold and wet in winter, you’ll need to build raised beds to extend your season.

Click here to see the rest of this article.

Gardening can be fun as long as you do your homework and learn the details of what your plants need. This includes location and knowing the size of garden that you can manage.