Vegetable garden planting should not be accomplished overnight; rather, proper preparation of your soil must first take place.
Traditional vegetable planting involves straight rows that require season-long hoeing to keep weeds under control. Instead, try planting vegetables in blocks three inches apart north-to-south and east-to-west for easier weed control.
Sunlight
Sunlight is key to any vegetable garden. Most fruiting crops such as tomatoes, eggplants and capsicum need full sun. When choosing your garden site, avoid sites shaded by trees; their thirsty roots could invade and overwhelm your veggie beds’ soil, starving your plants of water and nutrients they need for their survival.
Shadow measuring instruments can be helpful, but the easiest way to ascertain how much sunlight your location receives is simply spending an hour outside each day and watching where the shadow falls. Do this throughout the growing season and you will quickly observe how its patterns shift with each season change.
Vegetables that produce edible roots and shoots generally grow best in full sun conditions; those producing flowers or leaves require some shade (like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale for instance). Leafy greens like silverbeet, spinach, lettuce and rocket thrive with partial shade exposure while brassicas such as kohlrabi and globe artichokes require direct sunlight daily.
Seed packages, tags and labels can help identify the specific requirements of each vegetable plant. Pay particular attention to details regarding how much sunlight each one needs as well as other considerations like heat- or cold-tolerance requirements.
As essential as sunlight is for successful planting and growing of veggies, soil quality also plays a vital role. Loamy soils offer optimal conditions – with their combination of sand, silt and clay particles providing good drainage as well as holding onto moisture and nutrients to support optimal results.
Organic matter levels also influence soil structure, impacting roots’ ability to reach and use available nutrients. When creating soil for vegetable gardening, regularly amend it with compost, manure or other organic material like compost tea bags. Aim for an acidic to neutral pH level and ensure there’s an equal balance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (known as NPK combination) nutrients in the soil; you can achieve this through either chemical fertilizers with high first numbers or adding it naturally through compost tea bags or adding organic material directly into it.
Soil
A healthy garden requires good soil. To be truly productive, this requires soil that is rich in organic matter and contains balanced nutrient levels (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur magnesium). Furthermore, workability must also be an aspect; keeping moisture inside while encouraging root development is also key. Finally, its pH level should lie between 6.0 to 7.0 in order for plant roots to flourish and grow freely in its surrounding area.
Before planting vegetables in their own gardens, soil must be loosen and amended with either a spading fork or rototiller. Some people also layer organic material on top to form a lasagna bed which helps avoid compaction while simultaneously encouraging beneficial microorganisms to flourish in their soil.
An ideal location for a vegetable garden should be one that gets full sunlight, with minimal shade from trees or buildings, is easily accessible, and provides easy irrigation of its plot.
Before planting, take a walk through the area and observe how much sunlight it receives during each hour of daylight. Seasonal variations affect how intensely sunlight reaches certain locations; to optimize results choose a north-facing slope where afternoon shade will be less severe.
Vegetables need water in abundance to grow properly, so make sure their site can easily be reached with a hose spigot. Also consider setting up a drip system before planting so that your vegetables receive consistent amounts of moisture as they develop.
When planting vegetables, consult our Vegetable Planting Chart to know when seeds and transplants should go in the ground in your region. Remember that plants take time to reach maturity so it’s best to leave enough space between rows for adequate harvesting of food from each one.
When planting your veggie garden, pay special attention to the planting instructions provided on the seed packet or Growing Guide for that crop. Not following these instructions may lead to disappointing yields; in particular, avoid grouping nightshade crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and potatoes) together as this exposes them all to diseases like blight that build up over time in soil, negatively affecting future harvests.
Space
A vegetable garden requires space, so select an area that’s large enough for the produce you’re growing. Make sure the site is free from perennial weeds and any tree roots, and close to an irrigation source. If your space is limited, try container gardening instead – pots, planters and other forms of containers work great when placed in sunny parts of your yard or on deck, while anything with drainage holes makes great choices such as old terra cotta pots, troughs or bathtubs, as well as raised beds.
Size also plays a part, as tall crops like beans, peas and squash take up more room than leafy or root veggies. Some vegetables – like tomatoes and peppers – require heavy amounts of nutrients; to maximize your success with them, make sure your amended soil has plenty of organic matter while being high in nitrogen content.
Most novice gardeners begin planting vegetables in early spring after all threat of frost has subsided (later in areas with warm winters), however this may be too late for certain vegetables that require cooler weather for their development such as peas, greens, lettuce, radishes and cabbage which should be planted as soon as the ground can be worked and no later than several weeks prior to last spring frost in northern areas.
To maximize your growing space, plant multiple crops in one area simultaneously. Rotate faster-growing vegetables like radishes and carrots with slower growing varieties like lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard for optimal harvest times and an ongoing source of food from your garden. By doing so, harvest all your produce at the same time while continuing production throughout the season.
Another way to save space in your garden is to cover it over winter in areas where temperatures drop below freezing, particularly if erosion may be an issue. Covering allows your soil to “rest” before starting new seeds come spring; one popular and effective cover crop for this is oats which is readily available from feed stores.
Pests
Vegetables require nutrients from the soil in order to thrive, so weeds and pests must also be managed effectively. One effective strategy for controlling these issues is rotating garden areas by planting closely related crops at various times throughout the year – this helps prevent overwintering insects from finding new hosts, while simultaneously helping limit disease transfer between plants.
Beans and squash are two crops with similar environmental needs that can benefit from being planted together, providing shade to both. Their interwoven stems act as natural trellises for each other’s protection from direct sunlight. Unfortunately, carrots do poorly when planted near corn as their root systems compete for nutrients; similarly cucumbers and dill (both members of the cucumber family) tend to create a tangled mess when planted together without an intervening structure like a trellis.
Attract beneficial insects as an effective way of controlling pests by including them in your garden. Herbs and flowers that attract pollinators such as clover and yarrow provide essential pollinator habitat, while Nasturtium, Dill, Chamomile and Borage all attract beneficial bugs as quick-blooming herbs.
Keep in mind that it takes time for beneficial insects to arrive and start pollinating your garden, so be patient. Be particularly vigilant as the temperature warms up and more pests emerge from their winter shelters. Once signs of damage have been detected, remove affected leaves immediately if you see them; systemic insecticide spraying should begin as soon as serious vegetable pests have been seen – don’t miss any leaves even if they appear healthy, otherwise this will prevent insects laying more eggs that will further harm plants.