 Site selection
Plant your garden in a convenient location, where
you can check it frequently. Choose an area near an
abundant supply of water so you can water as needed
easily. Vegetables do best if they receive full sunlight
(at least 4 to 6 hours a day). Plant them in a well-exposed
area in the garden, where they are not shaded by trees,
fences, or walls. Try to plant away from areas that
will be watered by lawn sprinklers.
Whenever possible, select a location that is not heavily infested with weeds, especially weeds
such as field bindweed, nutsedge, and bermudagrass that can be hard to control with hand weeding.
Also avoid areas that have had previous disease problems.
Try to plant on level ground. Level ground is easier to work on than sloping ground. Vegetables
will do well on a wide range of soils; they do best in well-drained soils. If your soil forms
a clump when squeezed, then it is too wet; if the soil crumbles easily, it is a good soil to
use.
Damp soil surfaces encourage snails, slugs, sowbugs, and root diseases; fruit decay and leaf
spot diseases may also increase. Soil amendments can make clay and sandy soils easier to work
with,
and correct soil preparation can improve poor soil.
Adding organic matter (compost, peat moss, manure, sawdust, ground bark) makes clay and sandy
soils easier to work with. The soil should be kept at a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5. Lime or gypsum
can be
added to soils low in calcium. |
