There are 10 main things to consider when planning a garden
location. All of them are important for
different reasons. I didn’t number this
list because depending on your home, some things on the list may be more of a consideration
than others. A fun and convenient way to
plan the location of your garden is to draw a little mini map of your property
(Google maps works wonders for this if you can find your home). As you work your way through the list of
things to consider below, you can mark the locations that work best for each
consideration on the list. By the end,
you should have the perfect garden location!
Convenience
This is one of the most important things to consider when
planning a garden location. You are
likely going to be in the garden on a regular basis. You will be prepping, planting, weeding,
watering, and harvesting in your garden.
It should be in a place that is easy to get to and adds to the enjoyment
of gardening. Also, it’s a fair bet that
after spending time in the garden, you will traverse back and forth between the
garden and your home.
Sun
Plants love sunlight!
Any place in your yard that receives at least six hours of sunlight per
day should be considered. Make sure that
the shadows that go over your yard are not hindering the light for the
garden. For instance, note where the
shadows are from your home or from trees.
Once you have found the best locations, keep them under consideration
until you have weighed everything else on this list. Some plants like more sunlight than others; 8
hours may be more where the sweet spot is for sunlight depending on what you
want to grow. Just because the sunlight
is ideal, does not mean that it is the location that will work best for you.
Air Flow
Plants need to be able to breathe fresh air. If there is no air flow, the air will get
stagnant. Aside from the plant
suffocating, mold and mildew can start growing on your plants. Good air flow can prevent this from
happening. If you have a windy yard, you
can always control high air flow with a garden wall. You want to make sure there is pretty good
air flow in the beginning though.
Watering
Water is essential to life.
A vegetable garden can become neglected if caring for it becomes more
difficult than anticipated. To keep from
pulling the hose across rivers and valleys to get to the garden, try to plan
the garden closer to the water source in the beginning. This is another way that convenience can be
kept in mind when planning the location.
On top of that, hoses usually become dirty laying on the ground, and
muddy after watering. The mess is
limited by having the water supply and vegetable garden as close as possible.
Drainage
Plants love water!
Not too much of it though. If you
have no drainage, the plants will get too much water. The roots can develop root rot and the plant
will likely die. The plants are also
susceptible to mold and mildew if there is no drainage. Pests also have a tendency to hang out near
stagnant water. There are also nutrients
in the water. Those nutrients are not
resupplied unless there is good drainage.
In short, the soil needs to be able to dry out so that fresh water can be
absorbed into the soil and, ultimately, the roots.
Soil
Soil is extremely important.
If the soil is not correct for what is being grown, it may hinder the
growth of the plant. The nutrients in
the soil are food for the plants. If
there are no nutrients, there is no food.
Enriching the soil is one option to improving soil. The amount of sand in the soil can be tested
by soaking the soil. Waiting about 24
hours, and grabbing the soil like a snow-ball, or a mud-ball, and squeezing it
tight. Open your hand. If the soil falls apart quickly, it has too
much sand. If the soil falls apart
slowly, it may be just right.
Gradient
This is important for two different reasons. Firstly, water runs downhill. For the plants at the bottom, they will get
too much water and could drown. The
seeds at the top may be swept downhill before they seed. If they do seed, the plants at the top may
get too little water and die. Secondly,
cold air falls and warm air rises. If
the vegetable garden is not level, cold air will accumulate at the bottom. The cold air causes frost pockets which can
kill the seedlings inside the pocket.
These issues can be limited by making sure the location is as flat as
possible.
Location
I don’t mean the location of your garden on this one, I mean
the location of things that may be running underground like piping, wiring,
etc. Check with local departments to see
if there are any potential limitations in digging. Also keep in mind where you live and follow
the rules of your HOA or landlord. If
either of these situations prevent an in-the-ground garden, you may want to
limit the gardening to things that can be grown easily in a less permanent
location, like a container.
Space Needed
It is important to consider how much room to allocate for a
vegetable garden. Certain vegetables need
more room than others. If space is
limited, check to see what kinds of plants can be grown using a vertical grow
method. For instance, strawberries can
be grown vertically using crates with holes.
Some vegetables can be grown from hanging pots.
Hazards
If there are potential contaminates in an area of the yard,
do not plant a vegetable garden in that area.
This could include debris from chemical or physical contaminates. Some chemical contaminates include paint,
oil, byproduct from cleaners, or any other chemical liquid that gets dumped in
the yard. Some physical contaminates
include metal shavings, construction debris, etc. These are all items that you don’t want in
your food.
Now that you have gone through the list, do you have the
perfect location? Planning is only part
of the process. Now that planning is
done, it’s time to get to work!
Lastly, if there are any topics that are home based or
pertain to time management, let me know in the comment section or you can email
me. If you think that the
information is useful and informative, please share. Make sure you subscribe so you get notified
when MACS Home Care has a new post.
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