How to Grow a Vegetable Patch

You do not need to have a large piece of land or even have knowledge of farming to be able to grow a vegetable patch. With just a little care, time, and patience, anyone can plant a small crop of vegetables.

Things You'll Need

• Seeds or vegetable plants Garden hoe Garden rake Hand held garden spade Farmer's almanac Rototiller (optional) Broad-spectrum fertilizer, such as Miracle Gro

Instructions

How To Grow A Vegetable Patch

1. Choose a location in your yard where it is sunny for most of the day. Avoid choosing a location that is near a large tree due to the fact that birds, squirrels and other tree inhabitants may eat your plants.

2. Work the ground with the shovel or by using a garden tiller. If using a shovel or spade, dig a trench around the perimeter of the plot, then use a digging fork to further loosen the soil. If using a garden tiller, plow in a slow but steady pace, allowing the tiller to sink into the soil.
   No matter which method you use to break up the ground, you should dig at least six inches into the soil to remove the roots of grass and other weeds from the garden spot.

3. Using a rake, remove the grass, weeds, sticks and rocks that were tilled up. The tilled area should be free of any debris.

4. Add compost while plowing. After removing grass, rocks and sticks from the plowed area, add compost and work it into the soil. Compost is crucial to a successful vegetable patch because it adds nutrients and vitamins back into the soil.

5. Mark rows. With a garden hoe, form rows that will divide the various plants in the garden. Planting in rows creates an organized garden area. Making rows also makes weeding and walking through the garden easier to do.

6. Read a Farmer's Almanac. Farmer's almanacs can be found in the magazine racks of most stores. It gives you planting information that is specific to your area. Following the information given in the almanac will help you to plant vegetables according to your region's average climate and phases of the moon.

7. Plant vegetables. The amount you plant will depend greatly on the size of your garden patch and how much of each vegetable you want to raise. Read the growing instructions on each seed packet or plant container. Some seeds have specific planting depths.

8. Prepare trellises, cages or stakes. Plants such as pole beans and peas need a place to grow vertically. Position a trellis behind the rows that contain vining plants. Plants such as tomatoes, okra and some variations of pepper plants require support from cages or stakes driving into the ground.

9. Feed your plants. At least once each week, mix plant food, such as Scott's Miracle Gro, into the water when watering the garden. Plant food provides vitamins and minerals that help to produce vegetables to their maximum potential.

Tips & Warnings

• Coral panels make sturdy trellises and can be reused year after year.

• Avoid planting vegetables such as melons, pumpkin and squash too close together. These plants spread and require a lot of room to grow.

References

• Farmer's Almanac
• Scott's Miracle Gro