How to Create a Starter Garden

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By artistforever
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vegetable garden

Do you remember playing in the garden with your dolls on a warm and sunny afternoon while grandma was shelling peas in the shade of apple trees in the yard? What a sweet memory!
And do you know that a piece of ground of about 30 feet by 30 feet provides vegetable for at least one person for a year?
Gardening has become very popular, and even with a plot of only 12 feet you can get enough fresh salad, radishes or whatever you like.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

piece of ground
soil tester
organic matter
organic fertilizer
compost
fence
vegetable seeds or plants

Step 1

Check the soil first and test it
If you want to change a piece of your garden into a vegetable field you need to check the soil first. A good soil should have worms, plant nourishing bacteria and the soil itself should be fertile and have the consistence of crumbly cake. Add organic matter which would be the best from the own compost (leaves, grass, organic kitchen scraps)but this takes some time. Go to your garden center and get some organic matter.
Test the soil at your garden center or extension agency; PH should be between 6 and 8. If your soil is acid add agriculture lime if it is basic add potash. Follow the directions on the package to add enough to balance your soil. Make sure to turn in these additives so they don't get washed or blown away.
Step 2

Fill the ground with organic matter and when the soil is no longer soggy, add organic fertilizer and compost.
You need to till everything and if it is too hard for you hire a gardener or landscaper with a rototiller. This keeps the soil soft and fluffy; avoid walking on it. Make little paths along the beds.
Step 3

In order to keep out rabbits, dear, pets and all other critters, fence the field with metal stakes and wire mesh. Have a gate made out of a wooden frame and wire mesh. The fence should be six feet tall (this height prevents deer coming in) and it is good to use a finer mesh at the bottom to deter the small animals like rabbits and ground squirrels. You can even extend it below ground level to stop burrowers.
Step 4

The best is to buying seedlings in the garden center or at the farmers market if you are a beginner. But if you want to use seeds you need to know following:
Seeds can be kept up to 3 years. Each plant' s seed has a different shelf life and it depends greatly on how they are treated and stored. The best way to store seeds is in an air tight container in a dark, chilled place; for example you can keep them in the refrigerator. Some vegetables are hard to start from seed, particularly herbs and nightshades like tomatoes and eggplant. On the other hand there are crops that do best sown directly like carrots, radishes, lettuce and squash or melon.
Buy the seeds, and plant them either in separate pots or directly into the soil (depending on your location). Tall plants, like peas or pole beans, should be on the North side of the garden as they create shade for the other plants.
Step 5

Plant in groups and rows. Plant around tomatoes parsley and basil; zucchini, summer squash and cucumbers need more space, therefor plant them next to each other. Lettuce, beets, Swiss chard is planted best in rows. Same with potatoes and strawberries. When lettuce is harvested you can plant carrots in the same row. And before you plant lettuce, grow radishes which are the best in spring.