Welcome to the world of gardening! If you’re new to this fun and rewarding activity, here are some important tips to help you out along the way!
A sunny area with level ground is the best place to plant a vegetable garden. Planting on level ground will make it much easier to prepare the soil, plant and irrigate your vegetables. In the case that planting on a level surface is not an option, be sure to run your rows across the slope, rather than up and down. This will help to keep the soil from washing away when watering your garden.
Avoid planting a garden under trees as well as on the north side of buildings, shrubs or other tall objects, as they will block the sunlight.
When planning the layout of your garden, place the tallest plants on the north side. This will prevent them from blocking shorter plants from receiving sunlight.
Be sure to leave enough space between the rows or beds so that you can easily move around to work and water the plants.
Try to keep your soil evenly moist while your vegetables are growing. To do so, apply water when you see that the top 1 – 2 inches (2.5 – 5 cm) of soil is dry.
Water only the base of your plants. Watering from above will waste water (through evaporation) and moisture on the foliage of your plants can potentially lead to leaf diseases.
Try to move your crops around (or plant different crops) after each season. Planting the same crop (or crops from the same family) in the same area two years in a row may encourage pests that feed on certain crops to inhabit the soil in these areas.
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