Advice for first-time gardeners

Advice for first-time gardeners: Start small

From Purdue Extension Master Gardeners, Allen County, Indiana
As so many of us are spending much more time at home these days. this might be the perfect time to think about starting a vegetable garden! In addition to adding fresh produce to your diet, gardening can offer both physical and mental therapeutic benefits.

Good planning is essential to successful gardening. Start your garden off right by selecting a location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, if possible. Good drainage of excess water is critical. Observe the site during rainy days to avoid areas where water tends to stand. Try to steer clear of trees and shrubs that would compete with your garden plants for water, light and nutrients.

Decide how big the garden will be, what crops you want to grow and where to place them. Beginners tend to go overboard, not realizing how much work lies ahead. It's best to start out small and gradually add to your patch each year as needed. A 100-square-foot plot should be plenty for your venture.

Prepare a good planting bed, but make sure the soil has dried sufficiently before you work it. Working wet soil will damage the soil's structure. Squeeze a handful of soil, and if it crumbles away easily, it's ready.  If it sticks together in a muddy ball, you'd better hold off. For a new garden, work the soil at least 6 inches deep. Then rake the surface level.

Garden centers are good places to buy seeds and seedlings for transplant. Most seed packages will list planting directions such as depth and spacing. When setting out transplants, remove the plant from the container and dig a hole larger than the soil ball of the plant to aid root establishment. Some transplants are sold in peat pots that can be planted, but remove any part of the pot sticking out of the soil. And, if roots are not growing out of the bottom of the pot, tear or poik holes through the bottom to allow for easier root penetration. Transplants dry out and wilt rapidly, so be sure to get those transplants watered thoroughly as soon as possible.

It's a good idea to have your soil tested as early as possible to learn how much of what kind of fertilizer to apply.