How To Start Vegetable Garden Planting

Growing vegetables is much easier than many other plants. With just a minimum of good planning, proper planting and a little bit of care you'll have a bounty of tasty, natural things to eat.

But before you sow a seed, think.

Consider your climate first and foremost. The type of vegetables you plant and, just as important, when will be influenced by whether you live in a tropical, temperate or cold climate. Within these broad categories there are several sub-types. The range of climates in the U.S., for example, runs across a dozen zones. You should not plant tomatoes - a heat-loving vegetable - when you can anticipate a frost after winter's end.

On the other hand, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, onions and more grow well when in cooler climates. They like 50F-68F (10C-20C) weather and will tolerate frost fairly well. Cabbage, carrots, lettuce and others will prefer slightly warmer temperatures, about 60F-75F (15C-25C). Tomatoes, corn, eggplant and potatoes prefer it hot.

Next, consider the total area and location of your planned vegetable garden. A family of four might do well with a 100 square meters, but that's far more than a novice gardener will want to care for at first. Beyond size, think of the specific needs and nature of each plant. Corn grows tall, so it will produce shade. But you don't want that shade to block sun desired by those tomatoes.

When considering the location, think about what you might have to do to protect the vegetable plants from excessive shade and wind.

Some places are shaded naturally, and perhaps too much so. Vegetables like sunlight. At least five hours per day is needed by most. You'll be able to tell they aren't getting enough if your vegetables are far below average size, if the leaves are wimpy looking and by other signs. Plant the taller vegetables, like corn, to the north of the shorter ones. Plants low to the ground, like lettuce, need to be nearer the south edge.

Your garden can get too much wind. Providing a wind break might be a good idea. Wind can dry the soil and break tall plants. Cold winds, in particular, tend to stunt plant growth. They remove the heat provided by the sun. A garden lattice or an appropriately designed fence can solve the problem.

Give your vegetables plenty of water, though. Unlike herbs and some other plants, vegetables like lots of water. They'll need good drainage in sandy loam in order to avoid root rot. But beyond that, the more the better. Watering the base and roots is more important than keeping the leaves wet. A drip system can provide the perfect solution here.

Be prepared to do what the pros do and rotate your crops from year to year. Different plants take different things from the soil in varying quantities. Some of that can be replaced with compost, fertilizer and other soil treatments. But help out by changing your design once in a while.

Once you've decided which vegetables you want to plant and where, there is still a little bit of preparation to complete before planting. To make a good garden you must have good soil.

All vegetables get water and nutrients from the soil. In some cases, the ground won't already have the needed compounds. In others, previous plantings over many years will have depleted them. Either circumstance can easily be remedied with a few simple actions.

First, know what you're starting with. The best way to find out is to purchase an inexpensive soil testing kit. These easy-to-perform chemical tests will provide accurate information on nutrient levels, pH and other helpful data. For more accurate tests, you can seek out the local Extension Office of a university. They often work with local planters to provide information about the environment, including soil composition.

pH levels can be adjusted with the addition of small amounts of sulfur or lime. Some plants prefer earth that is slightly alkaline (basic), others do better in slightly acidic soil. A garden underneath a pine tree, for example, will tend to be slightly acidic because the needles that fall give a small amount of acid to the dirt. A medium level is best for most vegetables, with a pH between 6.0-6.5.

There is some mechanical preparation to be done as well. Depending on the soil type you have - very clay like, sandy, sandy loam or a mixture - you may need to do more or less tilling. Rototillers can be rented. If you have a large area that you'll replant year after year it may be worthwhile to endure the one time expense and buy one, however. You'll use it more often than you suspect.

The soil needs to be aerated and turned to provide oxygen and the right mechanical support balanced with the right degree of freedom for the roots to spread. Very compact soil makes it difficult for nutrients and water to flow and drain. It keeps roots from moving down to reach lower water levels and provide stronger support against wind.

Any weeds present should be dealt with at this time. The more you do now, the less you need to do later. Many won't appear but will have seeds present ready to sprout after you plant. A soil preparation mixture that prevents weeds from starting is a good idea. It's much easier to apply before you plant your vegetables and it won't harm them once you do. They're designed to kill weeds, but not other plants.

You might want to lay down a weed control fabric before planting. That creates a cover that makes it more difficult for weeds to develop, by denying them sunlight. It also provides a physical barrier that makes it harder for them to rise up.

Now is also a good time to attack insects, bacteria and other things that will eat your vegetable plants later. Some organisms are helpful. Milky spores, for example, are bacteria that interrupt the growth cycle of the Japanese beetle larvae. As they develop they eat roots. Laying down the appropriate mixture of pesticides can be safe and effective and will cover a wide range of potentials pests. Preventing a small problem is always easier than solving a larger one later.

Preparing the soil before planting will pay off many times over later. The savings in effort, time and money will help produce the best vegetables possible from your garden.

To produce a healthy, productive garden you'll need loamy soil. It should crumble easily in your hands, not too much clay aspect, not too much sandy quality. Clay-like soil retains too much moisture and doesn't allow proper drainage. Sandy soil doesn't provide adequate support and drains too well, as well as lacking needed nutrients.

To produce that kind of soil, two obvious things are needed: good fertilizer and the right amount of water.

But before you add anything, know what you're starting with. A simple and inexpensive soil testing kit will tell you what kind of soil you have. It will test for levels of nutrients and for pH. Some vegetables like a more acidic soil, others prefer an alkaline earth. Most will do best in an intermediate range of 6.0-6.5.

Adding sulfur or lime can adjust the pH. Adding fertilizer will supply those nutrients. pH should be adjusted several months before planting. In some climates, that means doing so after the prior years harvest, before the snows start.

If you've created a compost pile, add the material to the topsoil about three weeks before planting. That will give it time to naturally leach the needed nutrients into the soil before you plant. You can speed up the process somewhat by tilling it into the top few inches. Otherwise, you can add organic or artificial fertilizer (such as NPK 8-8-8) to enrich your soil. Add that right before planting. About 20 pounds per thousand square feet is enough in most cases.

Unlike most herbs and some other plants, vegetable plants love lots of water. Like nearly any plant, most shouldn't sit continuously in a bed of water. That will lead to root rot. But a continuously moist soil will provide the water needed to power the biochemical reactions that plants carry out to grow and support themselves.

Water is a vital chemical used to transport nutrients throughout the plant, participate in photosynthesis, and give rigidity and firmness to cell structures. About an inch of water per week is the right amount for most gardens. That works out to about 65 gallons per 100 square feet. The amount will vary slightly depending on the type of soil you have. If natural rain activity doesn't supply that amount from April through September, you'll need to supplement it.

Fortunately, it's easy to supply.

Unlike flowering plants, watering vegetable plants from above doesn't wilt them if applied in moderate temperatures. Still, some of the same considerations apply. Try to water early in the day, in order to allow leaves and the top layer of soil to dry out before nighttime temperatures arrive. That keeps problems such as fungus down. Another way to accomplish the same goal is to build a simple and inexpensive drip irrigation system. Rubber tubing that leaches water should be placed near the plant in order to supply water to the roots.

Then, only occasional water is needed to keep leaves clean and their pores open. Don't water when it's very hot, though. That defeats the purpose, since it causes the pores in the leaves to open, and they evaporate more moisture than you supplied. It can also cause burns when water droplets act like small magnifying glasses.

Unfortunately, you're not the only one who loves your fresh, home grown vegetables. Insects, rabbits, mice, deer and other pests do too. And they eat more than just the vegetable itself, often munching on leaves and even roots. That takes away not only the food, but the ability of the plant to create more. Very greedy, these little creatures.

Controlling pests in order to produce a healthy crop is an ongoing task. But it can be made easier by taking an integrated approach. Don't rely on just one method, but employ a variety.

Good pest control starts even before the vegetables grow, by proper soil preparation, plant selection and watering practice. Maintaining a slightly acidic soil, around pH 6.5 can help. Keeping the soil well fertilized helps the plants grow well, which gives them the needed assistance to fight off pests.

Seek out seeds that are pest resistant. Don't fear genetic modification programs, since one goal is to create just such seeds. If you transplant, select healthy plants.

Be on the lookout for harmful insects and other pests. But don't react to every insect with a chemical spray. There are many helpful organisms, some of which treat the soil, others consume harmful insects. Knowing which is which is the first step to biological control of gardening problems. That creates safe, tasty vegetables that grow large and healthy.

Assassin bugs will eat aphids, caterpillars, Japanese beetles and other pests. Stink bugs will feed on potato beetles and some caterpillars. Ladybugs eat aphids, mealybugs and spider mites. These are just a few examples out of dozens.

Watering in the morning will help. It keeps fungus and other problems to a minimum. Just as with grass, vegetables can be prone to growths that are encouraged by nighttime temperatures and excess moisture on the leaves. Allowing the plant to soak up needed water early, then dry before the temperature drops, will help prevent such problems. Keeping them disease free minimizes insect damage, since a weakened plant will often not survive minor infestations. A healhty plant can fight them off.

Alternating the planting of different species will help prevent the spread of pests. Some like one type, others like another. But when many similar plants are spaced close together, that contributes to a population explosion among similar pests. They either reproduce more rapidly, or gather together. Getting rid of a huge population is more difficult, in part because they can devastate a plant before your other efforts take effect.

Remove any part or plant that has been attacked in order to prevent spreading. Just as with animals and humans, pests spread in part by contact. This isn't necessary at the first sign of a problem, but when it reaches the level where you can't save the plant, it's best to save the others.

Building a good fence with narrow mesh at the base will help keep larger animals - rabbits and deer, for example - from getting to your vegetables.

But when those efforts are not enough, don't be afraid to use an approved commercial insecticide. Chemistry has come a long way in the past 50 years and they're designed to eradicate insect infestations while still being safe for humans to contact and eat the vegetables.