In my last post I explained how to dig up the lawn and get your vegetable garden laid out and ready for planting. Let's say that we have an area about ten feet wide and twenty five feet long with five rows for planting. That is plenty of room for planting various assorted vegetables. Decide what you want to plant and make sure that they will grow during that time of year. You can find all of the information by going to your local garden supply store and reading the seed packets. If they are selling tomato plants then they are in season. Same with collard green plants, egg plant and peppers. If they are selling then that time of year then they are in season.
You have three choices. Seeds, plants and bulbs for onions and garlic. You can grow peanuts by buying a bag of raw peanuts from the super market, shelling and removing the outer membrane and planting. Do not use cooked or salted peanuts. They will not grow. It would be even better if you can find shelled raw peanuts.
Let's say that you want to plant bush bean seeds. Here is how you will prepare the row. Make sure that the hill is solid and not falling apart from recent rain. Take your hoe, and with the corner of the hoe make a trench about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep at the apex or very top of the hill going the whole length of the row. Drop the seeds into the trench as directed by the seed packet. Once the seeds are in the trench, cover and gently pat the soil down. The seeds are planted.
You can mix seeds, plants and bulbs if you prefer. If you are using plants, plant them far enough apart to separate when they mature. Take the plant out of the cup and try not to let the root ball fall apart, if it does that's okay but it's easier to plant when it is intact. Scoop out enough soil from the top of the row for the root ball to fit into. Don't dig any deeper, we don't want to completely bury the root ball, and do not cover the whole top. Pat the sides in to secure. If you are planting onion bulbs or garlic simply make a hole about 1 1/2 inch deep at the top of the row with your finger, drop the bulb in, cover and gently pat.
Once everything is planted it's time to water. Run your garden hose in the gully or irrigation system between the rows until saturated. Use this method of watering for the first few days until things start to take root. You can sprinkle water on top of the seeds but don't over do it. We don't want them to wash away. Once the vegetable garden begins to mature you can use both methods of watering. Just be careful in the beginning. Of course, it's not just vegetables you should be growing. Growing A Herb Garden would be a great addition too.
