How to Plant the Perfect Vegetable Garden

There's nothing more rewarding or delicious than a feast of fresh, home-grown vegetables that you've raised yourself. Follow these directions to plant your perfect vegetable garden.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plot of land
• Soil test kits
• Shovel
• Rake
• Spade
• Hose
• Top soil
• Compost
• Fertilizer
• Starter plants or seeds

1. Make a list of what vegetables you want to grow. You may not be able to grow all of them, but once you have your list, you can begin narrowing it down. Research to see which of these are in your hardiness zone. If you don’t know your hardiness zone, find it at the National Gardening Association’s website (see Resources below). If there are any vegetables that do not thrive in your hardiness zone, you might want to consider scratching them off the list, unless you are up for a challenge and want to save some gardening space to experiment with them.

2. Look up the safe planting date ranges for each plant, either for sowing seeds or for transplanting nursery-grown starter plants. You’ll want to make sure to prepare your plot and purchase your supplies well ahead of these dates.

3. 
    
   garden map

   Find the perfect place for your garden. If you have any trees on your property, remember that the roots of a tree generally extend a few feet farther out than the canopy. This is known as the “drip zone,” and where most vegetables would drown from the dripping from the canopy, and will also compete with the tree roots for nutrients in the soil. Find the sunniest spot possible. Most vegetables need a full 6 to 8 hours per day of sunlight. If you don’t have a large enough single patch of land for your garden, you can split it up in different places or use containers. Calculate your square footage by multiplying the width by the length of your plot. That will tell you approximately how many plants you have room for. Then research your plants to find out how much space they will need to grow and note it on your list.

4. Make a diagram of your plot and map out your plant placement. This is the tough part, because you have to decide how many plants you actually have the room to grow. Use your space wisely and don’t try to crowd too many varieties in. Give priority to what you want the most and be willing to rule out others. When deciding placement, put taller plants towards the back so they don’t overshadow smaller plants.

5. Check your soil. There are soil kits available at gardening centers that you can purchase and send out samples to have your soil analyzed. This can tell you the all-important pH level of your soil. The higher the pH level, the more alkaline your soil is; the lower, the more acidic. Most vegetables do well at pH levels between 5.5 and 7.5. If your soil is too acidic, you can add some agricultural limestone to raise the pH level; if it is too alkaline, you can add some sulfur to bring the pH level down.

6. Consider using raised beds if your garden has poor drainage. Simply border your plot with untreated wooden planks, bricks or cinder blocks, and fill in extra loam or compost so that the top of your vegetable patch is raised up a few inches higher than the rest of your yard. This will provide better soil drainage.

7. Get your seeds or starter plants. Look for varieties labeled with the letters "V," "F" or "N." This means that the variety is resistant to common plant diseases such as verticillium wilt, nematodes and fusarium wilt.

8. Plant your vegetables. Use a ruler and space out your planting according to the directions on the package. If you’re sowing seeds, the package will also tell you when to thin. Thinning is when you put several seeds in a single hole and cut away all but the strongest, healthiest-growing shoots. If you’re using transplants, be sure to harden off the plants before putting them in the ground. Hardening off is the process of gradually introducing the plant to its new environment. If the plants were grown indoors, put them outside in a partially shady area and move them to the sunny spot gradually over a few days to avoid shock. If they were grown outdoors, place them in their starter pots on top of the vegetable patch so that they can acclimate to the location for a few days. Then you are ready to transplant them.

9. Keep on top of your garden. Thin, weed, water and side dress (provide extra nutrients or fertilizer) in time. If you’ve done your research on the plants and kept track of your planting dates, you’ll know when these things should be done. With good planning and vigilance, you’ll be harvesting your bounty in a few weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• It pays to keep a gardening journal so that you can record all your information, such as your soil’s nutrient levels, what variety of plants you used, your safe planting dates, when to thin plants, when to expect harvest and notes on your garden’s progress.
• If you find pests invading your plants, try simply spraying the plant down with a strong stream from the hose, or putting soapy water into a spray bottle and giving them a good coating. If problems persist, look into commercial insecticides.

Resources

• Find your hardiness zone here.