How to Start a New Garden in a Yard
Whether you grow flowers or vegetables, a new garden bed requires appropriate planning. Site selection, dirt needs and continuing care all depend on the cultural requirements of the crops you select. Preparing the bed correctly before you purchase the very first plant enhances your odds of gardening success because the plants get off to a wholesome start in great soil. You can carve out space for a garden nearly anywhere in your yard if the website receives enough sun.
Survey your yard for the best garden place. Vegetables and ornamentals that require full sun grow best in a location that receives at least six daily hours of sunlight, while shade-preferring ornamentals require locations with varying levels of sunlight, getting anywhere from four or five to as little as one or 2 hours per day. Pick a website that is not prone to standing water or dirt and that is not difficult to access for maintenance and boating.
Mark the perimeter of the garden bed with bets. Remove grass, weeds and unwanted plants in the website. Remove any large rocks and yard debris so only the dirt remains. Wear gloves to protect your hands from thorns and bugs. Be very careful about sticking your hands in to piles of debris without seeming.
Dig a 5-inch-deep trench around the perimeter of the bed to form a barrier so lawn grass and weeds don’t encroach on the website. Leave the trench as-is or install vinyl landscape edging from the trench.
Take a soil sample to a soil testing facility to determine the soil pH and fertility. County extension offices can give references to testing labs, which charge a fee for the service. If bud or ornamentals have grown well in the place previously, you could be able to forgo testing.
Spread a 3-inch layer of compost over the surface of the bed. Add any amendments recommended by the soil testing, if required. Turn the compost and amendments into the top 8 inches of the ground with a shovel or a power tiller.
Plant the desired plants at the bed, following spacing recommendations to your particular plant variety. Set most plants at the soil at the same depth they were growing at previously from the pots that they were in at the shop or nursery.
Cover the bed with a 2-inch layer of organic mulch, such as straw or wood chips, to prevent weed growth and conserve soil moisture. Replenish mulch annually because it decomposes and breaks.