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How can I Prepare to Plant a Garden?

Shannon Kietzman
Shannon Kietzman

When you prepare to plant a garden, there are many steps you should follow in order to ensure success. The first step is to decide what type of garden it will be. If the garden will be used for growing fruits and vegetables, the necessary conditions may be a bit different than if the garden is for flowers.

If the garden will be for growing fruits and vegetables, the next step is to choose a sunny location. If the garden will be for flowers, the amount of sun the area needs to receive will be determined by the types of flowers to be grown. Some flowers thrive on sun all day long, while others need sun for part of the day, and still others like to be placed in full shade.

Gardening tools and potted plants.
Gardening tools and potted plants.

Since the types of flowers to be planted in the garden have such a major impact when you prepare to plant a garden, it is a good idea to look at available flowers ahead of time. This way, you can determine which flowers you prefer and plan the garden location accordingly. On the other hand, you may already have a specific spot in mind. If this is the case, you must be careful when selecting flowers in order to ensure they are appropriate for the amount of light the area receives.

A boy watering flowers in a garden.
A boy watering flowers in a garden.

The next step is to get the soil ready. The easiest way to do this is to use a tiller. A tiller is a hand held, motorized tool that tears the ground apart. This is beneficial when you prepare to plant a garden, because it loosens the dirt, making it possible for the roots of the plants to grow and to create a strong hold in the dirt.

Tilling the area is also important because it helps uproot any weeds or grass in the area. You should then use a garden rake to remove all of the plants that have been uprooted. Removing the plants is an important step because many weeds are extremely hardy, which means they are capable of re-rooting themselves if not removed.

Knowing the pH level of soil is helpful because certain plants require different levels.
Knowing the pH level of soil is helpful because certain plants require different levels.

At this point, the ground is ready to be planted. Depending on the type of plants to be placed in the garden, there may be one final step necessary when you prepare to plant a garden. This step involves testing the soil to determine the amounts of certain chemicals already present. Some plants prefer acidic soil, while others do not. If the soil is inadequate, supplies can be purchased from a garden store to alter the balance of the soil.

Discussion Comments

julies

One thing I learned the hard way is to choose a sunny location for a good vegetable garden. I once lived in an area that was mostly shade and I thought I would try to grow a garden anyway - it didn't work very well. I didn't get very much yield and nothing grew very big.

I now live where I hardly have any shade, but have a great garden spot. Most vegetables need plenty of sunshine. You will also need to make sure that your garden gets plenty of water and start out with good soil.

golf07

@ValleyFiah - I live in the Midwest with cold winters, so can't really recommend much for your climate, but there are many good online resources that you can use for a good start. One thing I plant every year in my garden is tomatoes - there is nothing better than a fresh-picked tomato!

If you are interested in learning how to plant tomaotes just do an online search and you will get a huge variety of options to choose from. Many resources are very good at showing you what works best within your garden zone.

You should be able to enjoy tomatoes much earlier in the year than me!

ValleyFiah

I built my first garden since I was a kid, and I have to say it has been somewhat of a failure. I am not discouraged though, rather I am determined to figure out what I did wrong and try again next year.

I enjoyed the tips on how to prepare a garden for planting in this article, but I think I need to figure out how to plant a garden. I do not know what types of plants grow well together. I must admit that I also overestimated the amount of space that I had. I bought too many plants, and ended up with a garden that was too crowded.

Can anyone recommend a good read for the beginning gardener? I am into vegetable gardening, and I live in a hot, dry climate.

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    • Gardening tools and potted plants.
      By: Michael Flippo
      Gardening tools and potted plants.
    • A boy watering flowers in a garden.
      By: Yuriy Poznukhov
      A boy watering flowers in a garden.
    • Knowing the pH level of soil is helpful because certain plants require different levels.
      By: ilposeidone
      Knowing the pH level of soil is helpful because certain plants require different levels.
    • When planting a garden, a tiller is helpful to cultivate soil.
      By: Dmitry Vereshchagin
      When planting a garden, a tiller is helpful to cultivate soil.
    • Weeds should be removed from the garden plot.
      By: vectorass
      Weeds should be removed from the garden plot.