Setting Up a Vegetable Garden
It Takes Time But It Is Worth It!
Just like any worthy endeavor, setting up a vegetable garden requires some thought and planning. This is especially true if you are in an area where you have not gardened before. There are five pages of information to help you more thoroughly. Both ground gardening and container gardening are addressed. If you are a beginning gardener, set up a small one at first.

Diagramming a Vegetable Ground Garden
  • Map each row. It is best to run them east to west.
  • Remember that planting your vegetables close together is desirable only if your soil is nutrient-rich. If not, do not crowd them. Set up enough space so that you can mulch around the vegetables.
  • Group the vegetable plants according to soil requirement and time of yield. For early producing crops, provide extra space for planting later producing plants.
  • For adequate sun exposure, set up the vegetables that would be the tallest on the far north end, and the consecutively shorter ones in the front.
  • Locate your perennial vegetables by the garden sides so that they do not get damaged during plowing times.
  • Crop rotation is a must if you want help in preventing pests and diseases. Do not place the same vegetables every year in the same spot.
Container Garden
Map where you will set up each container. If you are placing your vegetables on the balcony, deck, or doorstep, provide for the possibility of having to move them indoors on occasion. You want to avoid any cluttered look. Container gardening can give you quite an attractive display. Containers are available in all shapes, sizes, and materials. If you want terra cotta containers, remember that they are not suited for winter weather. In planning on shapes and colors for your pots and/or other containers, blend them with your décor and color schemes. Be careful with dark colors, however. They can gather a lot of heat and damage plant roots. Do not forget to provide weather protection for your plants, such as a windbreak, if necessary.

Note
Mark your vegetable garden, so that you do not have to guess what you have planted.

Vegetable Planting Dates
Many seeds do not like direct seeding outdoors if the temperature is too hot. You should set up these seeds indoors where the temperature is cooler. Transplant them after about a month. Here is a short list that can serve as your guide for garden sowing dates. Some of the vegetables can be sown indoors (italicized) and then garden sown at the specified time. If what you want to plant is not listed, please ask your local nursery for advice.

April Beets (repeat in June), cabbage (February to March), carrots (repeat in July), lettuce (February to March), onions (February), peas (succeeding plantings every two weeks), radishes and spinach. (February to March).
April to May Bush beans, broccoli, potatoes
May Pole beans, cauliflower (January to February), eggplants (February to March), sweet corn (succeeding plantings every two weeks), peppers (February to March), pumpkins, tomatoes (March), watermelons, muskmelons
May to June Cucumbers, squash

Note
If you are a beginning gardener, you may want to set up a garden with established vegetable plants. You will not have to guess either which plants for what season, as they will appear in garden centers at the proper time of planting.

Check the other five pages for this topic. They will help you in setting up a vegetable garden that is well worth your effort!

Disaster Kits - Emergency Preparedness - Survival Kits & more - 1-800-Prepare

  
   l  Back toTop  l  Page 1, 2, 3, 5, 6  l