Tips for Locating a New Vegetable Garden


by J Ruppel - Date: 2007-04-18 - Word Count: 427 Share This!

The key to starting a new vegetable garden is the actual garden location. You can change many things about a garden, even upgrading the soil with compost and other amendments, but the location is something that you will have to live with.

A successful garden will have several common elements:

Convenient to the house: If the garden is too far removed, you won't be inclined to run out there to pick something fresh whenever the mood strikes. Additionally, if you are tilling or hauling in waste for the compost pile, you don't want to go a long way with your equipment. The same goes for hauling bags of fertilizer, flats of plants, or bales of peat moss to the vegetable garden. Finally, if you have to irrigate with the garden hose, you don't want to be dragging long sections of hose from the house.

Screening: Depending on your individual gardening style, you may decide that it is better to shield the garden from view if you are not one that likes to keep it neat and tidy. If you plan to have an open compost pile near the garden that may be a concern as well.

Sunlight: Obviously, to have a successful vegetable garden, you will need an adequate amount of sunlight. You should get at least 6 hours a day. Often this means you need a southern exposure. But take a look around, are there trees that will be growing to a height in the near future that will reduce this sunlight.

Nearby trees and bushes: We worry a lot about weeds, but keep in mind the invasive root systems from trees and other large bushes. Spreading trees with shallow root systems like willows are to be avoided. We've had bushes like trumpet creepers and honeysuckle that can have very aggressive root systems as well.

Drainage: Take advantage of the natural lay of the land to optimize your garden watering. But be careful to avoid low spots that can lead to puddling and pooling, which are major problems for growing almost all vegetables.

Critters: Finally, depending on the local "pests", you may want to be able to shield the garden from attack. While birds can often get in almost anywhere, you may decide you want to fence the garden in to avoid visits from deer, raccoons, turtles, rabbits, or any other walking critters.

A garden can be a wonderful pastime, paying off not only in fresh produce for your kitchen table, but in the connection with nature. Careful selection of your garden location will help to ensure that it is as rewarding as possible.


Related Tags: gardening, composting, indoor gardening, vegetable gardening, container gardening

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