Grow a strong garden

How to grow a strong vegetable garden

The number one source of disappointment I have encountered has been the result of my not following the basic rules of vegetable gardening(picking a fight with reality).

1. Planting cold weather plants in June in Georgia.
2. Planting more than I have time to care for.
3. Expecting to much from very poor soil that I have done nothing to improve.
4. Not putting enough thought into the planning stage.

The easy way to avoid disappointment is to spend this time of year developing a sound garden plan which takes into account both of the following

1. How much time can I spend working in the garden each week?
2. How much am I willing to spend on my garden(This is a tough one when you take into consideration, fertilizer, water bill, hand tools, accessories such as tomato cages and finally, will your garden be big enough to justify or require the purchase of a roto-tiller?

The best part of the planning stage is relaxing in your favorite chair while you thumb through your seed catalog trying to decide on which varieties you want and when is the best time to plant(check out the growing zone chart in your catalog). In order to make good decisions here you have to know how big your garden is going to be. This is determined by how much time you will have to spend in your garden. Gardening is very enjoyable and relaxing if you do not overload yourself to the point that it becomes a mental burden to think about all you have to do, and how little time you have to do it in.

Apartment dwellers do not have the same planning problems as do people with a garden plot. They usually decide on which aspect (herbs, sprouts, plants, etc.) of their garden has the highest priority and then develop that module to a point where it is fully functional(i.e. now that my herb garden is up and running I think I will decide on my next project). If you are planning a garden plot you need to go out and measure this spot so you know exactly how many square feet you have(side A x side B=square feet(write it down)). While you are reading your seed catalog you will notice lots of information on when to plant(regional planting guide), where to plant(sun, shade, etc.), and how many square feet per plant(one tomato plant will take up 18 square feet if you include a two foot wide walkway down one side of it, so a 100 square foot garden will handle about 5 tomato plants). Draw your garden on paper(graph paper works great but is not a requirement). If you really develop a reasonable plan and stick to it you will almost certainly be happy with the results. Remember to be good to yourself and plan a garden that you can maintain without working your tail off.

Where to next?

1. Ask a question or leave a comment.
2. Go to the garden home page.
3. What to do if I am an apartment dweller?
4. What can I do this winter to help with my spring planting?
5. I have a small garden spot, but no garden equipment.
6. The last time I planted a garden I was disappointed with the results.(you are here)
7. Go to Project365V.
8. Go to sitemap.
9. Visit the garden diary.