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Planning
your Vegetable Garden Now that winter is over and spring is in the air it is time to start planning that summer vegetable garden. The first important task is choosing the location of your garden. Test your soil to see if it is in good condition for planting. Squeeze a handful of soil to test for moisture content: If the soil forms a clump, it is too wet to work and may form into hard, cement like chunks that can cause problems throughout the growing season. If the soil crumbles easily when squeezed, it is in perfect condition for gardening. Tilling the soil with organic soil amendments can improve poor soil. If your soil is poor, also consider using raised beds for planting as they provide good drainage and easy access to the plants – these can be made from wood, concrete or railroad ties. Try to plant on level ground to make your garden easier to prepare, plant and irrigate. If you must plant on sloping ground, run the rows across the slope rather than up and down, to prevent soil erosion. Locate your garden within reach of a garden hose if possible. Vegetables need at least eight (8) hours of sunlight each day so make sure the garden is not shaded by trees, shrubs, walls, or fences. After finding the perfect location for your vegetable garden, you can decide what to plant. Think about what vegetables you like and use - perhaps a theme garden such as a salsa (tomatoes, corn, hot peppers, green onions and cilantro) or salad (tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers and beets). Whatever you choose make sure to plant enough of each crop to meet your needs for fresh, stored and preserved crop. When choosing varieties, consider disease resistance, maturity date, compactness of plant and the size, shape and color of the vegetable. Find helpful information in seed catalogs or contact a local expert such as the UC Cooperative Extension office for help in selecting vegetable varieties suited for your area. It may be prudent to plan your garden on paper before planting. Make a sketch of your garden area showing the dimensions and prepare your list of vegetables. Arrange the crops according to the amount you wish to grow, dates to be planted and space available. Make sure you place tall plants such as corn and pole beans on the north side of the garden so they will not shade the low growing crops. You can grow many plants from seed or buy young plants from a local nursery. If you plant directly from seed you should wait until the ground is warm enough for the seeds to germinate. Some of the most common plants bought for transplanting are tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, sweet corn, summer squash, cabbage, cucumber and eggplant. Once you have
made your layout, checked your soil and chosen the plants…time
to start diggin’- Have fun! |
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