Garden Topics:
Guide to a Successful Vegetable Garden

• Start small, and then increase the size of your garden next year if needed.
• Select a location where you will have flexibility to increase the garden size in the future.
• Vegetables need at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun, access to a good watering system, and decent soil.
• Stick to vegetables you actually eat and enjoy, and those that are easier to grow.
• Run your rows east to west. Plan to place the taller plants on the north side of the plot to prevent overshadowing shorter ones.
• Surround an edible garden with a fence to keep out household pets and hungry wildlife. It can also act as a trellis for climbing crops such as tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, and peas.
• Consider building a raised vegetable bed. They look nice and make good use of space. Raised beds also allow you to put in the soil combinations that work best. Fill your bed with 3 parts of good topsoil with 1 part compost.  Fafard Sea & Shrimp or Gardeners Gold soil conditioner would work perfectly. Raised beds generally have better internal soil drainage (no water logging) which results in better root health.  Learn more about raised beds in our article on Starting a Vegetable Garden.
• In traditional gardens, till the top 8-12 inches of soil and incorporate a 2 cubic bag of compost per square yard of garden space. If the soil contains a high percentage of clay, use Clay Buster in place of the Mushroom Manure Compost.
•  Some vegetables should be planted as a seed; for others it is better to start with a small plant. Read the directions on the seed package for required seed depth and spacing.
• Be aware that overcrowding can result in spindly fruitless plants. Cover the seedlings and then water.
• Once the seeds have germinated, remove excess plants to insure proper plant spacing. Vegetables require at least 1 inch of water per week, be it rain or irrigation.
•  Protective sprays, both organic and chemical, can be purchased at to combat insects and diseases that can be destructive to your vegetable garden. Read the label and follow the directions.
•  Water your vegetable garden at the ground level. It is best not to use a sprinkler, which will water the leaves and possibly promote disease. If overhead watering can’t be avoided, do it early in the day so that foliage can quickly dry.
•  Weeds pull nutrients and moisture away from your vegetables. Don’t get behind with your weeding.
•  Mulch around the plants to cut down on weeds, keep moisture in the soil and keep the roots cool.
•  Fertilization is important. If the soil contains a large percentage of quantity compost, the addition of fertilizer is less important. Though needed in most cases, take care not to use one with too high a level of nitrogen which promotes lush vegetation at the expense of fruit. We recommend Espoma Garden Tone for most vegetables, but for tomatoes, and peppers use Espoma Tomato Tone.
•  Lettuce can be used as it grows. Just cut off a few leaves and let the rest grow.
• Squash is best harvested when it is just a few inches long. Many vegetables can be harvested at different stages and will continue to produce. If it looks like it’s ready to eat, it probably is.

 

Return to Top