Starting Your First Garden

Writen by Steve Welker

There are many good reasons for growing your own vegetables in a garden. There is a certain satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when you eat food that you grown yourself. There are also many undeniable health benefits from eating fresh vegetables in comparison to canned or frozen ones. If you do it right you can also save some money on your grocery bill.

The first thing you will need to do is to select a location in your yard to plant your garden. There are several critical factors that you will want to take into consideration when choosing the location for your garden. The first and one of the most critical is the amount of sunlight the area receives. Vegetables need plenty of sunlight to grow and thrive. You will want to select an area that receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight a day. Soil drainage is another important factor you will need to consider. Plants will of course need water to grow but most plants will not grow well in an area that is too wet. The final thing to keep in mind is the actual soil quality. Modern fertilizers can do a lot to help make up for less than prime soil but there are limits to what they can accomplish too. If the soil is very sandy or rocky or if it is mainly clay you will have very little success growing your vegetables in it.

Once you have selected the location for your garden you will need to prepare the soil. You will want to use a tiller to break up the soil into fine loose particles. You cannot till when the ground is too wet, the dirt needs to be fairly dry to successful till it. If this is the first time an area has been tilled it may take multiple passes to get it ready for planting. You may also need to rake out any grass and weeds after it has been tilled. Once the soil is the proper consistency you will want to fertilize it before you plant. There are numerous quality fertilizers available at any home and garden store. Simply select one and follow the directions provided on the package.

Now you will need to select the plants that you want to plant in your garden. When selecting your plants you will obviously want to base part of your decision-making on what vegetables that you like to eat. You will need to consider the weather in your area and only select plants that are suitable to your region. Another factor to remember is the amount of space the plants need as well as how difficult they are to grow successfully.

After you have your plants selected and you have purchased the seeds you are now ready to plant them. You will want to use a string and a couple stakes to help you lay out nice even rows. Remember to plant any perennial plants together at one end of the garden to make tilling around them next year easier. Then carefully follow the directions provided with each of the packets of seeds. Keep the soil moist and wait until your first sprouts start to show.

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