Gardening provides a host of benefits. It is an activity that requires physical exertion, but is also very relaxing at the same time. In addition, when done right, gardening results in a beautiful yard. And if growing vegetables, the gardener walks away with a bounty of produce.
One of the most important parts of growing a vegetable garden is choosing a prime location in which to grow the plants. Most garden experts say that when choosing a location, the spot should be conveniently located, but also be some distance from the house in order to avoid cables and power lines. Taking that into account, a convenient location definitely makes it easier to access the garden in order to maintain it. A person who has to walk more than a few minutes to the garden might be less motivated to work in it each day.
There are a few other location-related considerations to make when it comes to maximizing produce yield. The first consideration relates to how much sun the plants receive. Experts state that vegetable plants should get anywhere between 6 and 10 hours of direct sunlight, and advise gardeners to observe the sun as it moves around the area throughout the day to determine where to plant for optimal sunlight. One suggestion is to plant wooden sticks in the area and then record the times when the sticks are covered in shade. This will help you determine exactly how much sunlight an area receives. Finally, be flexible in making adjustments to the garden if it turns out your original plant location does not get as much sunlight as it needs.
Another thing to keep in mind when deciding where to locate a garden is its drainage potential. If possible, gardeners should avoid planting on slopes. Those with highly sloped land can make it work, but they risk erosion from water run-off. Furthermore, sloping gardens are more difficult to tend than those that sit on a level plane.
In addition, the garden should be located in an elevated area. If at the bottom of a hill or in an indentation in the ground, pooling water has nowhere to go, and that makes it difficult for the area to drain properly. Many plants have difficulty growing in the presence of excess water.
A vegetable garden should ideally be located in an open space that does not contain a whole lot of other vegetation. This ensures that air circulates throughout the garden and reduces the likelihood that mold and mildew will grow in the area.
Those looking to plant vegetables should also make sure that the area is free from toxins that might have been spilled in the soil. Chemicals, such as paint and oil, can leach into the ground and the growing vegetables.
Making sure that the area has access to clean water is another important factor in choosing space for a garden. Also, while it is possible to fortify a garden with soil, it is important to make sure that the soil is fertile enough to grow plants. The trick is to look for loamy soil, which is comprised of particles of varying sizes (typically sand, silt, and clay). Sand particles aerate well, but hold very little water. In contrast, clay holds onto water, but does not hold onto air. Meanwhile, silt sits somewhere in between. This mix provides the best of all worlds and encourages plant growth.
