Planting your vegetables

Planting your vegetables

Soils should not be prepared for planting when too wet or too dry. If soil sticks to your shoes or shovel, it is too wet. Have your soil tested for the amount of fertilizer or manure to apply before planting. A routine soil test gives information on any lime requirement, phosphorous and potassium needs and estimated nitrogen requirements. Rake or harrow the planting area immediately after tilling or spading. A firm, fine seedbed is best, particularly for small-seeded crops, but packing the soil too much could promote crusting of the soil surface and damage emerging seedlings.

If you irrigate your garden with a sprinkler from overhead, it's best to water early in the day so plants can dry off before night falls. Foliage that stays wet for long periods of time is susceptible to leaf diseases, fungi that grow on leaves, tender stems, and flower buds.

Light is another important factor to consider when you plan your garden. Sunlight -- or some type of light -- provides the energy that plants need to turn water and carbon dioxide into the sugar they use for food. The growing season is the length of time that your area has the conditions plants need to reach maturity and produce a crop. The growing season is measured in terms of the number of days between the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall. In general terms, these two dates mark the beginning and end of the time in which plants grow from seed to maturity. Some areas never have frost; instead, their dry season serves as "winter." The length of your growing season is totally dependent on your local climate.

Even if you have started many of your seeds indoors to extend your growing season some seeds should always start outdoors since they are sensitive to transplant shock. If you have been to a garden center or nursery lately you can get an idea by what types of plants can be transplanted easily. Perusing the seed packet aisles is an exercise in regressive optimism. One could easily conclude that the Vegetable Growers Association were conspiring against the home gardener and in bed with the large box stores. For those who struggle with physical labour you still don't have an excuse for you could easily start a no-dig garden or even begin straw bale gardening. There are quite a few options available to those who are unable to create traditional soil vegetable gardens.

The more you look around, the broader your options become. There have been instances of extensive porch gardens planted entirely in discarded containers: milk crates, styrofoam coolers, even an old toy box. You need a pot or container. "You can use just about anything: a window box, a basket, a wide bowl planter," says Harmony Picciuca, who runs a demonstration garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory where you can learn about growing greens and many other vegetables.