Vegetable Gardening Tips

by Kelly Merritt

Eating fresh vegetables can be life changing. Every extra processing step a vegetable has to go through between the ground and your mouth equals less healthy enzymes and vitamins. What is fresher than growing your own vegetables to eat? If you are confused on how to start a vegetable garden, here are a few pointers to get started.

The first step to growing a successful vegetable garden is to select the location. Choose a spot in your yard that is open and not shadowed by tree branches. Most vegetables need at least six to eight hours of sunlight. Be sure not to plant your crops near trees. Tree roots compete with other plants for the soil's water and nutrients. Try to avoid setting up your vegetable garden in an area where water collects. If you have a gentle slope in your yard, plant your crops at the top of the slope so that the water drains downward. If you have no slopes, don't worry, just try to pick the area with the best drainage since poor drainage can promote disease and inhibit growth of many plants.

Soil preparation is another important factor in successfully growing vegetables. Do not turn the soil until it is dry enough that it crumbles in your hands. If you turn the soil too early, while it is still wet, large clumps will form. Later in the season these clumps will harden and remain in your soil. When you are ready to break up and turn your soil try to add some compost or other organic material. If you do not have a compost pile, maybe now is the time to start one. To start a compost pile get a wooden box or garbage bin and place it in your backyard. Begin to fill it with your everyday biodegradable waste such as potato peelings, eggshells or leftover pieces of apple and lettuce. You now have compost to add to your soil.

Once you have chosen your location and prepared your soil you are ready to choose your vegetables. To start you should stick to growing the vegetables that you enjoy to eat. Try some that are prized for their incredible flavor when eating fresh from a garden. Some veggies that fall into this category are sweet corn, beans, peas, tomatoes and young spinach. The time of the year also plays an important factor in deciding what crops to plant. Onions, leeks, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, peas, potatoes, spinach, turnips and cabbage are examples of veggies that you can plant early in the season. Other plants need nighttime temperatures to be at least 50 degrees before planting such things as beans, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, melon, pumpkins and squash.

Seeds are less expensive than seedlings, but if you are an inexperienced gardener you may want to spend the extra cash for seedlings. Plants that tend to do better when planted as seedlings include eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Beans, corn, carrots, lettuce, peas, pumpkins and squash are among the crops that are often successful when seeds are sowed directly into the ground.

Plan out where you wish to plant your vegetables in your garden before you plant them. Remember that plants need room to grow and flourish. You want your plants to have enough sunlight, moisture, nutrients and oxygen without having to fight its surrounding buddies. Seed packets will provide growing requirements for each vegetable. Follow their instructions for optimal results. Once your seeds and seedlings are planted you must take constant care of your garden remembering to water and weed it regularly.

Your garden will not be free from intruders but here is some advice in fighting off your veggie's enemies. For rabbits that love to eat your plants, sprinkle black pepper around your garden to help ward them away. Save hair clippings from your next hair cut and try spreading them throughout the soil it keep the deer away. Marigolds planted around a garden are known to help keep bugs and other animals away. If bugs are still pestering your vegetables try "bag a bug," an alternate to pesticides. Instead of placing harmful sprays and chemicals on your veggies, the "bag a bug" is placed in your garden, attracts bugs and then is tied up, disposed of and replaced by you. Hope this answers some of your questions about starting a vegetable garden and encourages you to enjoy the taste of fresh veggies. Happy gardening!

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