Site Preparation

If you have gone through all the steps to choose a great location and size for your vegetable garden, you are now ready to begin site preparation. Although this is where the real physical work starts you should not get discouraged and instead focus on why you want a vegetable garden. This focus should keep you motivated throughout the entire process.

If the location you have chosen is currently bare ground then you will want to skip this section which deals with starting from a location that is in sod, weeds, or other vegetation.

Starting From Not So Bare Ground

If the site you have chosen is in a lawn, pasture, or any other non cultivated area, you have some extra work to do in order to begin preparing your soil.

There are a few ways to clear the current vegetation from your plot. Before I get into the specifics there is one other step that should be completed first unless you choose to implement the second part of method three below. No matter what your area contains, I suggest mowing it or cutting all the plant material down as low as you can. This will aid in the final removal of your current ground cover. Ultimately, you want all the current plant material to be dead before you start cultivating the soil.

The first method, and probably the easiest, is to use a non selective herbicide such as RoundUp. These chemicals will kill all vegetation that they come in contact with. Because of this mode of action it is important that you spray on a windless day and protect your surrounding plants, if any, from accidental exposure. If you do spray a plant that you didn’t intend to, you can save it by quickly rinsing the leaves with copious amounts of clean water. I know many people have adverse opinions to using herbicides or any other form of pesticide. That is just fine. The next two methods for killing the existing vegetation are chemical free.

The second method you can use to kill weeds or grass in your chosen vegetable garden plot makes use of the sun’s natural heating. You can cover your area with clear plastic to kill the plants. Simply lay the plastic sheeting over the area and secure it in several locations along the edge and middle regions with rocks or any other heavy material. You can do this in sections if you are limited in the amount of plastic available. Mowing your location first, as I mentioned above, is very important for this method. You want the plastic to be as close to the ground as possible for maximum effect. This method takes longer than the others (approximately 2 to 4 weeks) but is very effective at cooking plants to their death. When using this method you’ll want to water the area thoroughly prior to laying the sheeting. The moisture in the soil will help to hold heat in longer, even into the night. Plus, you’ll also kill weed seeds that may be in the upper one to two inches of the soil!

The third and final method for clearing existing plant material from your proposed garden location is the most labor intensive. If the area is currently in sod you can undercut the grass with a sharp, flat shovel and begin to pull or roll it up. Sod cutters are available from tool rental stores that make this job quick and easy. If your vegetable garden plot is covered in weeds you can dig them or pull them up. If you choose to go this route, I suggest not mowing first. You’ll want the have the long stems still intact to get more leverage when pulling. As with the plastic method, watering down the area first will make your job of removing weeds a lot easier.

Whatever method you choose to clear your vegetable garden plot your final goal before moving on to the next step should be bare soil that is ready for cultivation.

In the next section of this series I’ll cover soil preparation and the best practices that you can use to improve your chances of vegetable gardening success.

If you are enjoying this series and this blog, please subscribe to the RSS feed using the orange button near the top of the page to be notified of future updates and new articles. 

Part 1 – Choosing A Site

Part 2 – Garden Size Considerations

Part 3 – Site Preparation

Garden Size Considerations

Before we move on to site preparation, you should consider how big you want your garden to be.  If you are limited in regards to space, this section may not be of much concern to you.  You already know how big your garden can be.  If you have plenty of room then now is the time to think about the size of your vegetable garden.  I have a couple of tips below to help you decide.

The amount of produce you wish to grow is the first big factor.  If you are only growing tomatoes, for example, and you know you want to have enough tomatoes to eat some fresh and put some in the freezer for the winter there is a way to correlate that desire with garden size.

Each tomato plant should be given 18 square feet for optimum growth.  This translates to plants spaced three feet apart in rows that are six feet apart.  Given average growth potential, each plant should produce at least 5 to 10 pounds of tomatoes as a general guide.  Let’s assume that you want to eat maybe 10 pounds of tomatoes fresh (that’s about 20 to 25 tomatoes depending on the variety) and you want to freeze another 20 pounds for a total of 30 pounds, you would need to plant 3 to 6 plants.  From the spacing requirements above, you would need a garden size of only 54 to 108 square feet.  That’s for one person.  You can multiply the number of square feet by the number of people you wish to provide tomatoes for.  So, for a family of four, you would need a garden size of 216 to 432 square feet to provide approximately 30 pounds of tomatoes per person.

As a side note, I have produced a special report entitled “How To Produce 15-25 Pounds Of Ripe Juicy Tomatoes PER PLANT” that you can download for free when you sign up for my newsletter using the form on the side of this page.  The information in this report can save you lots of garden space and increase your production way beyond that of the typical gardener.

You can also look at spacing requirements found on the back of seed packets and plant labels to determine the amount of space needed for your other vegetables.

For my family, we have a vegetable garden of approximately 800 square feet.  In previous years our garden space was only 550 square feet and we always tend to produce more than we need.  The main point here is to remember that you can have as big or as small of a garden as you want and that your usable space will allow.  I’m always amazed at just how much produce we are able to harvest from our garden and you will likely be too!

The second tip I can give you when it comes to determining your vegetable garden’s size involves work.  Here I am referring to the amount of work needed to maintain a garden.  Digging, tilling, and adding amendments are all preparation considerations.  Plus after your garden is in place, you’ll be faced with weeding, watering, fertilizing, and training chores.  Don’t go overboard on size if this is your first vegetable garden.  You may decide it’s too much work and suffer ‘burn out’ the first year.  Remember, there’s no shame in starting small.  You can always expand where space allows.

Part 1 – Choosing A Site

Part 2 – Garden Size Considerations

Part 3 – Site Preparation

So, you would like to start a vegetable garden. Good choice! Having your own vegetable garden brings many benefits. You can have your own produce store right in your backyard without paying supermarket prices. Plus, by growing your own vegetables, you know exactly what goes into them. And finally, with the great variety of vegetable seeds and plants available to home gardeners, you get produce that simply tastes better.

The biggest hurdle that new vegetable gardeners face is how to start. In this series of posts I will attempt to help you put aside your fears and take action. We’ll start with site selection and finish with planting and mulching tips. So, grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite beverage) and let’s get started building your first vegetable garden.

Choosing A Site

This is perhaps the most important step in starting a vegetable garden. Many, if not all, vegetables require full sunlight throughout the day. If possible, your site should be situated in an open area that receives at least six solid hours of direct sunlight. Anything less and your results will be sub par. 

The slope of your potential vegetable garden site is important as well. The image above shows an open area with a slight slope.  You should try to pick an area that is level. I know many gardeners who grow on a slope and that is fine if it is your only option. The problem comes in, though, when you water or your garden receives rainfall.

On a slope the water applied will tend to run off to the lower portions of the garden. Common sense, I know, but some people are not aware that this could cause a problem. Your soil in the upper areas will tend to dry out quicker while the soil downhill will remain wetter and could lead to rotting issues with the roots of your vegetables. Therefore, it’s always advisable to choose an area that is level.

What about soil conditions? Well, that should be a consideration too. If you have a garden plot picked out and it contains many rocks you will have a tougher time preparing the soil in the first few years. I have this problem at my home. But, by removing as many rocks as I can each spring, I have been able to form a vegetable garden that has quite good soil.

Sandy or mucky soils should also be avoided where possible. Sandy soils tend to dry very quickly as they do not have the holding capacity for water. Nutrients are also an issue on sandy soils. Nitrogen in particular is very mobile in the soil meaning it is carried down by irrigation easily. Plus, the nature of a sandy soil does not allow for much holding capacity of nutrients in a similar way as with water.

Mucky soils, those high in clay, tend to work in just the opposite way as sandy soils in terms of water holding. They are often wet year round and will bring many problems for vegetable roots such as rotting and a lack of air transfer.

In summary, try to pick an area for your vegetable garden that gets plenty of sun exposure, is free of rocks, and does not have too much sand or clay. Sound like the perfect garden? It is! I would be willing to bet that your location won’t be perfect. Mine never have. However, don’t despair if you are limited to a less than ideal vegetable garden location. Many of the issues can be dealt with as long as you know what you are up against. The biggest step is to choose a spot and start working.

Part 1 – Choosing A Site

Part 2 – Garden Size Considerations

Part 3 – Site Preparation

If you’ve already had a frost in your area, as I have, then your warm season vegetables are looking pretty sad. It’s time to clear those old plants out. You can pull all the dead plants out and chop them up for the compost pile. Of course, if you have some cool season vegetables in your garden you’ll want to leave those.

Fall is a good time to also apply amendments to your soil. Products such as compost, when added now, will have time to break down further and become an active part of your vegetable garden soil.

You might also consider a fall cover crop. Plants such as winter wheat, vetch, and clovers can be planted now in most regions. These crops will germinate and grow this fall and even during the winter. When spring arrives they can be incorporated into your soil as green manure. Nitrogen fixing types (clover, vetch, and peas) make a great addition to the fertility of your soil for the next growing season.

With just a little work now you can save yourself vegetable garden preparation time in the spring. Your crops will thank you!

If you enjoyed this post and The Gardening Everyday blog, please consider subscribing to the RSS feed using the orange button near the top of the page.

Thanks and Happy Gardening!

Prior to the cold months of winter, it’s a good idea to assess your perennial flowers.  Clearing out the clutter from the plants will allow them to emerge unobstructed in the spring and will help them receive the moisture and sunlight they need after a long winter. 

The first thing you can do with your herbaceous perennials (those that die back to the ground each year) is to cut off all of the dead material.  To avoid damage to the plant, however, it is always best to make sure the plant has completely “died back”.  You can check this by observing the stems all the way to the soil surface.  If they are still green, don’t cut.  Otherwise, take your favorite gardening clippers and begin cutting the dead material back to within a couple of inches of the ground.  If you cut too low, you risk damaging the underground portions of your perennial flowers.

One word of caution for those living in snow prone areas, many of your plants may not die completely back before the snow covers them.  This is okay.  Just leave them and perform your cleaning maintenance in the spring after the snow has melted.  This is generally the case where I live in the Cache Valley portion of Idaho.  We frequently have winters that leave a foot or two of snow covering the ground until spring.  My wife actually prefers to do the perennial flower cleanup in the spring.  Your efforts in your garden should be dictated by your winter climate.

Good luck with your perennials and, if you enjoy this blog, please consider subscribing to the RSS feed using the orange button above.  You can also follow me on Twitter at @gardeningtoday.

Happy Gardening!