Five tips for Planning Your Garden

Every year as the seasons change, we start thinking about being outside and the abundance of extra sunshine and fresh air. For many people, this could mean planning outdoor parties, barbecues, and pool parties. For others, this means planning their annual garden to care for during the growing season. If this is your first year considering planting a garden, follow these tips to get you moving in the right direction.

Location, Location, Location

It may be tempting just to throw some seeds in the ground and see what happens; however, if you would like your first garden to be a success, you need to take some time to think about where you are going to plant. Observe your growing space and determine where shadows fall during the day; your garden should receive at least six hours of direct sunlight. Depending on your garden’s placement, it may receive the required sunlight during the hottest portion of the day, so you also need to ensure that your garden is relatively close to a water source.

Dirt is Not Just Dirt

Those who are just starting out growing might consider dirt to be just dirt, but actually, every patch of soil is teeming with life and has a vast microbiome. What your soil lacks and what you add to your soil could make or break your garden. You can increase your soil’s quality by adding worm castings, quality compost, and other organic matter. Watch out for chemicals; unless you are precise, it’s very easy to go overboard and have chemical fertilizer runoff your garden.

Keep it Small

When you are just starting, excitement can run high, and you may try to plant any seed that you can get your hands on. However, when those summer and autumn squashes come in, you may find yourself asking, “what have I done?” By keeping your garden small for the first few years, or growing it slowly, then you can focus on a plant when it gets a bug infestation or starts growing mold. When you climb the learning curve and know what to expect from your plants, you can expand your garden.

Know Your Zone

Each part of the United States is categorized by temperature in the USDA climate zone. When you plan on what to plant in your garden, determine if that specific plant species are suitable for your climate zone. Typically, you can find what climate zone that a plant will thrive in on the back of its seed packet.

Plant What You’ll Eat

Finally, when you plan for your garden, try not to reach for those exotic fruits or vegetables you have never tasted; when you receive your first crop of a vegetable, you want to be excited to eat it. When you are unsure how to cook something or have to force yourself to eat it, you may waste all of that hard work and sunshine because you were less than thrilled to eat a vegetable.