What Should I Consider When Planting a Vegetable Garden?

Planting a vegetable garden will require more work than going to the store and shopping for produce. If you are willing to commit the time and labor, you must also consider what you want to plant and where you want to plant it. Make a plan that allows adequate space and that ensures your garden will get the water it needs.

Before you start planting a garden, you need to know what type of plants will grow in your area. There are some vegetables that if planted in certain locations will result in wasted money because the climate or soil is not suitable and they will not grow. It may not take a lot of effort to make this determination, however, because your local farm and garden store should be able to advise you.

Another thing to consider before you begin planting a vegetable garden is where it will be located. There are several factors that should influence your decision. You will want to choose a spot that is fertile. You need to consider the drainage in that area. Furthermore, you need to consider how the sun shines on the garden because some crops may require full sun while others may require partial shade.

The size of the area you allot for your garden is important. When you are planting, the seeds or plants will usually be small, so it may seem that you can get a lot in a small area. You have to think about the plants’ sizes once they are mature, however, and space them accordingly. Furthermore, if you do not space your plants appropriately, some may not survive to maturity.

The time of year when you are planting a vegetable garden must also be considered. Even if the types of vegetables you plan to plant can be grown in your area, they may not grow during certain times of the year. Some plants only thrive in hot or cold weather, and attempts to grow them in contrasting temperatures can result in a waste of time and other resources.

Make a plan for watering your garden before you begin. If you are sure you can rely on rain, this may not be an issue. In many cases, however, especially where there are hot summers, people plant their gardens and then there is insufficient rainfall. If the locale where they live imposes water limits or if their wells are not adequate, their hard work may be wasted if they do not have a backup plan.

Remember that planting a vegetable garden can be rewarding if you see the venture through until you begin eating your produce. For that to happen, however, you will need to invest some time. The amount of time will largely depend on which vegetables you choose to plant since some are more labor intensive than others.