How To Start A Backyard Vegetable Garden

Posted By Cathy Scholes On 01-08-2016

Backyard vegetable gardens give you fresh food whenever you want it. Fresh veggies taste better and having your own garden can be a rewarding experience. In order to start a backyard vegetable garden, follow these 10 easy steps.

Step 1: Find the level area of your backyard that gets the most sunlight. You will need ample sunshine if you want anything to grow in your yard. Also, keep your garden away from trees and shrubs. Their roots will steal your garden’s water and nutrients.

Step 2: Mark off the area with wooden stakes and a string. You can also erect a small fence around the area where your garden will be to deter pets and other critters from messing up the space.

Step 3: Get rid of any existing grass with a shovel or spade and throw it in the compost.

Step 4: With your shovel or spade, dig the soil up to loosen all the clumps. If you have a garden rototiller, that will work even better and require less manpower on your part. By working the soil you are allowing water to better circulate within in.

Step 5: Add two inches or so of compost or well-aged manure to your soil. If you don’t have either on hand, any home and garden store will have some for purchase. Do not let the idea of manure deter you, it is a miracle worker that lets water penetrate the soil right down to the roots.

Step 6: Check the PH of the soil. (You can buy what you need to do this at any hardware or home and garden store—ask an employee for assistance if needed.) If the PH isn’t ideal for a vegetable garden, add some lime of gypsum to the soil. That will clear the PH issue right up.

Step 7: Lay out your garden rows from north to south so that you aren’t shading your vegetable plants. Plant the tallest vegetable in the north end, the medium veggies in the centre and the shortest at the south part of the garden. With stakes and string you should mark your garden rows so you know where to plant.

Step 8: Before planting read the planting and spacing instructions on each pack of seeds you wish to plant. Do not deviate from the instructions.

Step 9: Water you garden regularly to ensure that the seeds have enough moisture to sprout.

Step 10: Remove weeds as soon as you notice them. Weeds will take over your garden if they are not taken care of ASAP.

Now you have a beautiful backyard vegetable garden with fresh veggies to share with your neighbours. Or, keep them for yourself. You’ve earned it.

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