No matter if your garden features raised beds, traditional row gardens or something in-between, drawing the lines for each bed on a piece of landscaper’s marking paint (available at home improvement stores) makes visualizing it easier.
Vegetables thrive best in soil that’s rich with nutrients, so begin by conducting a soil test and adding organic material as necessary. Short-term crops like radishes and lettuce won’t need additional fertilization throughout their season’s growth; long-term vegetables, however, would benefit from additional support at different points throughout their growing time.
Soil
Success in gardening depends heavily upon selecting the appropriate soil. Vegetables need high-quality organic soil in order to grow vigorously and thrive; instead of buying topsoil from stores which is typically low quality dirt, consider building or filling raised beds with an ideal combination of humus, compost, peat and sand – and plan for rain-drenched sites by including drains as water can gather and eventually flood your beds and drown your plants over time.
Ideal soil for vegetable gardening is loam, an even mix of sand, clay and silt. Different vegetables require different levels of nutrition; your choice of soil will determine which fertilizers you need to add accordingly – for instance carrots prefer sandy soil that’s high in phosphorus while tomatoes thrive best when planted in deep, fertile clay soil.
Before planting either a raised garden or field garden, amending your soil is key to success. Use a tiller or shovel to excavate and dig up any existing soil that contains large clumps of weeds that protrude above ground level, then mix in some sand or crushed rock to improve drainage and lighten up the weight of the soil. If it’s extremely compacted use gypsum or expanded shale as amendment to loosen it further.
Consider adding organic material to the soil before it goes dormant for winter, such as compost or other forms of organic matter rich in nutrients such as manure. This will enrich and fertilize native soil, gradually releasing its nutrients over an extended period, unlike fast-acting chemical fertilizers which release theirs too rapidly.
Also, test the pH level of your soil. Most food crops prefer slightly acidic conditions ranging between 5.5 and 6.5 for optimal growth, though pineapples, blueberries and azaleas require slightly alkaline soil conditions. Adjust its pH with wood ash or ground limestone as necessary before planting your vegetables for harvest! Then reap your harvest!
Water
Spring is typically when gardeners begin considering expanding their vegetable gardens, and to ensure a successful, productive harvest for years to come, proper preparation of your planting bed should always come before scattering seeds in the ground.
Success for any vegetable garden relies on its soil. Vegetables require rich organic soil with plenty of essential vitamins and nutrients – the best way to attain such conditions is through amending existing soil or building raised beds.
Raised beds are elevated containers or boxes raised off of the ground from surrounding soil. These structures may be made from wood, metal, cinder blocks or any material that won’t leach toxins into plants or soil below. Raised beds provide an effective means of growing vegetables for those without enough room to create traditional in-ground gardens.
Before planting any new garden beds or planting traditional in-ground gardens, be sure to till the soil first. This will create an even surface free from weed competition and increase access for your new plants to water and nutrients they require. Tilling also helps aerate and improve its structure.
When using raised beds, make sure each has drainage holes at its base so excess water can run off into drains, helping prevent root rot and encouraging healthy growth. This will also prevent flooding problems from developing later.
Maintain a regular regimen for replenishing your soil with organic matter like compost, rotted manure, or other nutrient-rich material like cover crops like kale or turnips to add organic matter and loosen compacted soil – use it before the crop goes dormant as natural fertilizer for any future vegetable planting!
Avoid planting new vegetable gardens during rainy seasons as excessive rainfall can saturate the soil and hinder root development. If this cannot be avoided, select varieties tolerant of wet conditions if necessary and/or use a french drain or another method to control excess rain water build-up. Watering early each morning helps hydrate soil and plants before sun rays warm the air further, helping prevent diseases caused by waterlogged roots.
Fertilizer
Garden beds need constant attention in order to remain nutrient rich and healthy environments for your vegetables. There are various ways you can nourish their soil.
One effective approach to replenish raised beds with organic matter and improve soil texture is adding compost each fall before planting. Compost is packed full of essential nutrients and microbes that plants easily absorb; additionally it aerates the soil. Shredded leaves or grass clippings also work wonders by quickly adding organic matter while improving texture.
Once you’ve added compost or manure to your garden beds, turn over the soil by hand or with a small rototiller to create a smooth surface and minimize weed competition before planting. Be wary not to till too deeply as this could compact and alter its structure; 12-18 inches is generally adequate.
All vegetable plants derive some nutrients from their soil environment; therefore they require assistance in order to thrive and reach full size and potential. Apply a liquid fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro Ocean Harvest every three to four months as either drench or foliar spray application.
Before applying any type of fertilizer, be sure to contact the extension office in your area to get an accurate reading on its nutrient content. This will prevent over or under-fertilizing your bed while saving money by not purchasing unnecessary products.
If your planting area is susceptible to erosion, cover it with a winter cover crop such as oats in order to safeguard its soil during fall and winter months and prepare the ground for spring planting. Aerating soil and providing air circulation help aerate it as well.
When clearing away unwanted material in order to make room for planting, save any compost and manure you don’t use as part of your recycling effort and store it in your compost pile – it will come back into use later and give your pile an instant boost of nutrients! Not only is this great for the environment, but your raised garden beds as well.
Pests
Vegetable garden beds offer an ideal way to grow fresh produce, though you will need to work harder at prepping it than an in-ground or ground-level garden to get ready. Vegetables rely on having access to nutritious soil that requires amending with lots of aged manure or organic compost for growth.
If you’re beginning a raised bed garden, it’s wise to perform research on the soil and pay for a soil test in order to understand which nutrients it’s lacking and plan your planting schedule based on this knowledge. This information will prove invaluable during preparations and planting sessions.
Once you’ve selected a site for your vegetable garden, dig up and mix in around 12 inches of dirt. Be sure to incorporate aged manure or organic compost as this will contain microorganisms which will enrich the soil while also creating a healthy ecosystem for your plants.
Before planting your crops, use a garden fork or potato fork to loosen the soil and pull any large weeds from the bed. This will prevent damage to young vegetables with fragile roots while providing enough room for their development.
Outside of initial preparations for your vegetable bed, additional measures will be necessary to protect it from pests and disease throughout its season. Raised beds 36 inches or taller will help deter rabbits, while hardware cloth with wire attached up the sides and top can prevent common garden pests such as cabbage maggots, flea beetles, cucumber beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and pea moths from invading your harvest.
If slugs and snails are becoming an issue for your garden bed, use diatomaceous earth to sprinkle the surface, as this acts like microscopic broken glass that deters soft-bodied creatures from roaming through. Or cover it with a layer of hay or straw to prevent these pests from coming in contact with plants.