Gardening Basics
New to gardening? Maybe you've tried but it died? No worries! Gardening is one of the most forgiving hobbies because no matter how many times you fail, there are more seeds to plant! Each season brings fresh opportunities to learn and improve your gardening skills. Little by little, season by season, and trial by error, our experiences and knowledge provide us with more successes and less failures.
Start with fertile soil. This includes nutrient rich soil, lots of organic matter, and good drainage. A quick soil test will determine if your soil is too alkaline or acidic and the presence (or lack thereof) of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. For more on this, see the posts Soil Nutrition and Dirt vs. Soil. Reputable soil testing sites include:
https://midwestlabs.com/mylab-portal-2/consumer-estore-garden/
https://stukenholtz.com/soil-sampling-procedures/
Select a sunny site. If this is vegetable garden or orchard, a site with full sun is a must, though certain ornamentals, herbs, and salad greens will do well with partial shade. If necessary, trees may need to be removed, thinned, or trimmed to provide your garden with more light. Early morning sun helps dry the leaves and prevent disease, while late afternoon shade may provide a respite for plants during hot summer months. Consider where the sun rises and sets in all seasons given your latitude. In northern states, the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest in the summer, while in winter months, the sun rises in the southeast and sets in the southwest.
Good seeds and healthy starts. If organic or heirloom in important to you, select a reputable supplier such as Baker Creek Heirlooms or Seed Savers Exchange. There are many good companies to choose from but have a list in mind and read reviews. For more on this, see It Starts with a Plan. Starts (young plants) are a great way to get a jump start, especially for gardeners up north. Unfortunately, they can also introduce pests and diseases through the plants themselves, or the soil in the pots. Inspect your starts before you buy them and make sure there are no hitchhikers, wilting or diseased leaves, or excessive roots growing out of the bottom. Ideally, they should be rather small and not flowering or fruiting yet. You want them to get settled in their new spot before they get to work producing!
Water, water, water. Unless you live somewhere that gets massive amounts of summer rain, you will need to keep a close eye on soil moisture. New starts and seeds may need daily watering as their roots are small and delicate. As your plants mature and the root systems deepen, the soil will benefit by drying out on the surface and watering sessions will take longer but will be more infrequent.
Feed me! Aside from sun and water, plants need nutrients to produce those juicy tomatoes and healthy potatoes. After your initial soil test and subsequent amendments, follow up tests and routine fertilizing will ensure a bountiful harvest. Work a good organic fertilizer into the soil at planting and it will breakdown and provide nutrients throughout the season. For transplants and a boost during production, a nice liquid foliar spray gives a jolt of nutrients. For more information on this, see the post Plant Nutrition.