Vegetable Gardening – The Basics

Starting vegetable gardens can be very rewarding for both you and your family. It will save you from having to buy expensive vegetables at the grocery store and it will make you feel more secure to know that the vegetables you are eating are chemical free and healthy for everyone.

Start off with a small garden. This will keep you from feeling overworked and will give you an idea if you want to continue it every year. If this small garden is successful you can always make it bigger next year. A good size to start off with is 8' x 10'.
This will allow for a nice variety of vegetables and still be manageable.

A vegetable garden is best suited for an area of your yard that gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. To prepare your soil for planting, a tine tiller is a useful  tool to help loosen your soil and sod and mix in any soil amendments. If the sod is thick and heavy, you can use a spade to remove the top layers prior to tilling.

Examine the soil and determine if it is sandy soil, clay soil, or sandy loam.  Sandy loam is ideal.  To find out if it is sandy loam put some dirt in your hand and form it into a ball and squeeze it tightly.  If it falls apart when you release it then it is sandy loam.  Also you can take a specimen of dirt to the town extension office and they will let you know what type of soil it is and can also give you advice about how to make it better.

Invest in a good packet or collection of seeds for your vegetable garden.   High quality seeds are the first step in starting vegetable gardens that will yield good results without too much difficulty.  Check your seed packet for a freshness date to ensure that your seeds will sprout readily.

As you start your vegetable garden, focus on smaller vegetables that will take up less room. Peas, beets and zucchini are good options for a small garden.  Large crops such as pumpkins and squash may be unmanageable for a beginner gardener.  Be wary of early morning frosts before you start planting.

Proper fertilizer is essential for your new vegetable garden. Water soluble or granular fertilizer is the best option. 15-15 or 20-20 fertilizer is a good choice, as it affords your plants the correct balance and mix of essential nutrients and ingredients they need. You should fertilize the soil before planting the seeds by at least a week or so before. The fertilizer should be worked into the top soil six inches deep. After your plants begin to grow, you can always add more fertilizer to your vegetable garden as the need arises.