The best foods from Nature

If you understand the basics and plan accordingly, a vegetable garden can deliver lasting rewards. Choose your favorite vegetables, but also consider your climate, space, light, soil type, and budget. If you're a new at gardening, start on a small scale. Good planning is essential to the success of a good vegetable garden. Because vegetables have more exacting requirements than other plants, your site must satisfy them to turn out an abundant harvest.

Before laying out your beds, draw out your plans on paper. Decide which vegetables you'd like to plant and where, the size of the beds, and the overall pattern of the garden. Use graph paper and try to plan to scale, keeping in mind the mature size of the vegetables you've chosen. Let one square equal a specific unit for example, 1 foot in the garden. It's much easier to adjust and change your plans and ideas while they're on paper, and your sketch can also be a helpful reference as you work. A vegetable garden benefits from a level or gently sloping site and needs deep, fertile, well-drained soil, regular watering, and 6 to 8 hours of sun daily. Place larger plants where they won't overshadow shorter ones, and buy compact varieties if you have limited space. Start small, you can always dig more beds or increase the size pre-existing ones in following years.

If growing space is limited, you can grow your vegetables in succession and vertically. Having only a small amount of growing space doesn't have to mean you can't grow much. With a little creativity, you can grow plenty by gardening vertically. With just a little help, many vegetable plants can be grown vertically. Vining plants do especially well in a vertical gardening, because they will readily climb a trellis or fence. Cages, poles, arbors, fences and even walls can be used to grow plants vertically. Many plants will be easier to care for if they are trellised or grown in cages. The fruit will stay clean if the plants aren't left to spread on the ground, and better air circulation will help deter fungal diseases. Pepper plants also benefit from growing in cages that will protect their fragile stems from breaking under a heavy crop of peppers. As with any type of garden, when you plant vertically, keep in mind that the vertical planting will also cast a shadow. Give careful thought to what will grow on the shady side of the vertical planting. This would be a good spot for growing cool-season plants that would benefit from a little shade, such as lettuce and radishes.

If possible, clear and prepare beds in fall for spring planting, or prepare the beds in spring once the soil is workable. A common mistake of new gardeners is working the soil when it is still too wet. Clear an area of sod, weeds, and debris, and use a tiller, spade or fork to turn the soil to a depth of 12 to 14 inches, mixing in a 3- to 4-inch layer of compost into the top 12 inches of soil. Rake the soil until it is airy and level. Loose, well-aerated soil allows oxygen to reach the plants' roots more readily and warms up more quickly.

If your soil is compacted or of poor quality, consider making raised beds. Raised beds can be made with or without physical sides on them, such a cinder blocks or boards. To make raised beds, mark off the beds layout with a string and bamboo stakes. Make sure the beds are not wider than 36 to 40 inches; this will enable you to comfortably reach the middle from either side. Using a shovel, dig out a series of lowered paths around the staked-off areas, mounding the soil onto the beds, then use a rake to level the soil.

To determine when to start seeds and set seedlings outdoors, find out the first and last frost dates in your area. The number of days between these dates determines the length of your growing season; choose vegetables that will reach maturity within this span of time. Learn the basics of seed starting to understand timing and caring for seedlings. If you don't feel comfortable with starting your own seeds, many garden centers carry vegetable plants. Buying pre-started plants give you the ability to have a larger variety of vegetables.

Now that you have your garden planned and planted, keep ahead of the weeds. No garden is going to be completely free of weeds, but with consistent weeding you can easily stay ahead of them. Plant a few flowers with your vegetable garden. The added color and natural balance that flowers bring to your garden are priceless. If you keep these simple basic steps in mind when planning and planting your vegetable garden, you'll be well on your way to eating healthy great tasting food.