Meg's Guides: How to Start a Home Garden

Starting a garden in your backyard is a great way to develop a green thumb and a life-long habit. Plants will survive for a short period nearly anywhere. But if you want your garden to have longevity and produce enviable plants, you must put the effort into starting it correctly. Take the time to get to know your soil and feed it well and it will turn that care into large, colorful plants. For the best results, start the garden the fall before you plant in spring. The soil will have time to mature and will produce bigger, better plants in spring.

Start with a Rough Outline
Mark the outline of your garden with a thick line of flour so you'll know where to dig. Don't pay too much attention to making perfectly straight lines. Eyeballing is fine for now. You can tighten up the edges later once your plants are in the ground. Pull up the existing grass and weeds. In tact roots will sprout up later, likely when your new plants are in their most vulnerable states. A sod cutter or flat shovel will make short work of surface plants in large areas. For small gardens, get in there with a trowel and dig out the plants, roots and all. Remove as little soil as you can get away with.

Work the Soil
Use a shovel to turn and mix the top eight to ten inches of the soil. For larger areas, you'll want to use a roto-tiller. If the soil is hard and compacted, spray it with a little water to make digging easier. Remove any rocks, roots or other debris that you upturn along the way. Keep going until the soil is a consistent friable texture.

Have the Soil Analyzed
A soil analysis is a simple test that reveals all of the nutrients in your soil. Most county extension offices offer full soil analyses for a nominal fee. The point of the test is to reveal your soil's nutritional requirements and pH levels. Not all soils need the same amounts of fertilizer. You can save a considerable amount of money with a simple test. You might find that you don't need any fertilizer at all. Or you might find that the plants you intended to grow won't survive in your yard because the pH is unsuitable.

Feed the Soil
Spread a one-inch layer of compost over the soil followed by the fertilizer or other amendments recommended by your soil test. Mix those amendments evenly into the soil at a depth of eight to en inches. Smooth the soil flat with a garden rake or the flat edge of your soil. Leave the soil to mature until spring when you're ready to plant.