Lawns and Gardens

If you are planning to plant a vegetable garden you need to decide what vegetables are suitable for your soil type and when they should be planted. Before you start you need to prepare the soil for the vegetables you will be growing.

It is a good idea to test the soil for pH, nutrients and minerals. A routine soil test at a soil testing laboratory will inform you of the requirements for lime or sulfur (depending on the pH of the soil), potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

Prepare the soil only when it is not too wet or dry. Soil that sticks to your shoes is too wet. Crumble some in your hands. If it crumbles into small pieces it is OK. Till or use a spade to break up the soil then finish by raking over to give a fine seedbed. If you plan to plant your garden in the Spring till it in the Fall.

When to Plant

This is often the most difficult decision for new gardeners as planting too early will result in leggy, weak seedlings and too late will reduce the effective growing season. Sow most seeds indoors about eight weeks before the average last frost. For vegetables with larger seeds such as watermelon and squashes sow about four weeks before the average last frost. Some vegetables to plant indoors include broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, cucumber, lettuce, onion, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon and winter squashes. If you are very new to vegetable gardening do not succumb to the temptation to sow many different varieties as it takes time to look after the growing seedlings and it’s better to start off with a few varieties and look after them properly until you are more experienced.

Starting Your Seedling Indoors

Some things you need to consider when starting the seedlings indoors include the lighting, temperature and water requirements and the planting medium and containers you will use. Seedlings need to be placed in a position where they will get several hours of light daily. of course a heated greenhouse is ideal for this but many new gardeners will not have this luxury. if you don’t provide enough light the seedlings will grow leggy and weak as they stretch for the little light they receive. Artificial lights can be used and you can purchase light sespecially made for growing plants which produce light but not too much heat.

Check out the temperature requirements of the individual seeds you wil be sowing as these can vary widely. You can use a heating pad under the seed tray for those requiring higher temperatures.

Watering is best done by placing the seed tray in water to allow the soil to absorb it from the bottom as watering from the top can displace tiny seeds. Do not allow the soil to dry out completely or your seeds will die.

Give your seeds the very best start by using a specially produced seed medium obtainable from a garden center. Do not be tempted to save money by using garden soil. It is too heavy in most cases and contains weed seeds and othe organisms and parasites that can harm growing seedlings.

Conclusion

Planting a vegetable garden is not hard and with some forethought and planning you can be successful even if you have never doen it before!

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Read more:

1. Beginner Guide to Planting a Vegetable Garden
2. Herb seeds – Do You Know how to Gain the Best from herb seed? Check this Out!
3. Vegetable Garden – Your Glory for Fresh Natural Products
4. Try Container Vegetable Gardening for a Bumper Crop
5. Vegetable Garden Layouts for Different Garden Sizes

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