Starting a Vegetable Garden

Choosing a good location is one of the keys to have a successful garden. The site needs to have more than six hours of full sunshine, more is better. It is best to have a site that is reasonable level or gently sloping.

Gardens on steeper slopes will need to be terraced. It is best to keep the garden plot well away from large trees. Roots are tough to dig and tree roots compete for moisture and nutrients. And, of course, stay clear of underground utilities.

　If you are planning a fair size vegetable plot, it is a good idea to find someone with a farm or garden tractor to till the area. It may be worth while to buy or rent a garden cultivator.

Small plots can be hand dug.

A gardener who wants only a small bed might choose to hand dig with a shovel or garden fork. Digging lawn turf is very hard work. You want to turn over the top one foot of soil to give the roots loose soil in which to grow. It is easier to dig when the soil is moist.

All grass and weeds need to be removed as well as their roots. Any rocks larger than an egg, and all tree roots need to be pulled out. Clods of soil need to broken up and the surface needs to be raked smooth.

Once the plot is tilled you may want to consider having the soil tested by the local agricultural extension service, if you haven't already. That can tell you what nutrients the soil needs as well as the pH level. Most vegetables grow best in neutral to slightly acid soil. To grow well, the top soil (the top layer of soil where most roots grow) should be six or more inches deep and contain substantial amount of organic material. Usually, organic rich soils are dark brown in color and contain earthworms.

Add compost

Nearly all soils benefit from the addition of organic material. It loosens clay soils, improves moisture holding ability of sandy soil, and increases the nutrient level of any soil.

Organic material can then be spread over the garden and worked into the top layer of the soil. It is best to used organic material that has been sterilized, but using grass clippings or tree leaves will help. Improving the soil is a continuing process so expect to add more organic material each season. If you had the soil tested and are adding lime, now will be the best time. Plant the garden after the last frost.

Lay out rows

With the soil ready, you can lay out rows. Drive stakes in the ground every 20 feet and tie a string between them if you want a straight row. Rows need to be parallel to the slope of the terrain if the bed is not level. Make them four or five feet apart so that you can walk between them and give each plant room to grow without crowding.

Take a garden hoe or rake and make a long, low mound centered under the string. Pulling soil from both sides, the mound needs to be four to six inches tall at the center with gentle slopes on each side. Once you have neat rows remove the stakes and string.

Carve out a three inch deep furrow down the center of the long mounds you just made. If you are using a granular chemical fertilizer such as 10-20-10, sprinkle it down the center of the furrow, one handful per 2 feet of furrow. Otherwise, you can add manure or other organic fertilizer in the same way.

Plant seeds according to instructions

Now take the side of the hoe or rake and carefully rake a thin layer of soil over the fertilizer covering it but leaving a shallow furrow. The roots of the new plants could burn if they come in direct contact with strong fertilizers. Plant seeds according to the seed package.

That is how my father would have made a garden 50 years ago and is still the simplest way for the beginning gardener to get his hands dirty. This will work whether you are gardening in Australia or Alabama. More intensive and trendier methods of gardening have developed in the last 40 years. However, they require more labor, planning, and money and could be more appropriate for a second or third season garden.