With all the plotting, planning, and assessment of variables – prepping to start a vegetable garden sounds much like going to war. Fortunately, it isn’t! Here’s some inside intel (read: start-a-garden tips) to help you out.
Make a map
Not talking about bringing in a cartographer, just grab a pen/pencil, a piece of paper and make a map of the land available for gardening (to scale, preferably), marking out the sunny, shaded areas. This will help decide the best locations for your vegetable plants and overall organization process.
Do a soil test
Get a good soil test kit and ascertain the nutrient levels and imbalances in the soil. Many county extension offices offer soil testing services for cheap – check with yours! You’ll want to make the necessary amendments – organic matter if the soil is too acidic, lime if it’s too alkaline – to the soil before planting.
Plan for irrigation
Regular irrigation is paramount to the success of this operation (i.e. your new garden). Check the varieties of seeds you’re planning for, and determine whether the soil is too dry or too wet for your selections.
Select targets
By targets, I mean the vegetable varieties you want to grow. List your favorite vegetables by family. It’ll help you to plan rotations in the future. Write down the estimated planting date, days to maturity and harvest for each variety. Oh, and remember to identify and mark the ideal spots for every variety on the map. Take your time when you’re at it, organizing individual vegetable varieties such that they’re getting the right conditions and the right gardening companions for optimum growth.
Study the space allotted to each plant variety in your map, consider the space a single seed or plant will require and ascertain how many seeds and plants you’ll need to buy.
Next step, order your seeds and get ready for some fun in the sun (and in the dirt!).