Picking a Location for Your Vegetable Garden

 

This is my baby.  My first gardening love.  My vegetable garden.

 

This is a very special year since it is my first year having my own vegetable garden on my own property.  While it is very exciting to start a vegetable garden from scratch it also presents a lot of challenges.

Picking a location is the most important part of gardening!  There are so many factors into choosing a location that it may seem daunting at first but below I have included what I have found to be the most important factors to look at when deciding.

1. DRAINAGE!  Pick a spot in your yard that is not too wet and drains well.  You can always add water with a hose but you can’t take it away when it rains.  If you place your garden in a location that is too wet your plants will drown and you will be sad.  :-(  If you do not have good drainage anywhere I would recommend raised beds!
2. SOIL.  I’m putting this in here BUT soil really depends on your location.  The soil in the northeast, especially in my area, is often compact and high in clay.  Do your best to avoid these areas BUT you can do a lot with composting and fertilizing!  Do not expect your soil to be perfect the first year or even the first 5 years!  (Unless you use garden beds).  Your vegetable yields will increase as your soil improves.  Be patient.  If you really want to get into it you can also test your soils pH balance to see exactly what kind of fertilizers you need.  A pH of 6.5 is generally good for most gardens (flowers and vegetables).   
3. LIGHT.  Most vegetable plants like full sun.  Full sun is unfiltered sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.  So avoid picking a location with a lot of trees or too close to any structure that might block sunlight.  Also by avoiding planting too close to trees you can save yourself the headache of dealing with tree roots.  I have a tree at the perimeter of my garden and trust me just avoid it if you can.  Your garden hoe will thank you.   
4. SIZE.  How large do you want your vegetable garden to be?  How many people do you plan to feed off it?  Are you preserving your vegetables or do you just want fresh vegetables over the summer?  What kind of vegetables do you want to grow?  These are all questions you should ask yourself when picking a location.  If you start small I would advise picking a location that allows you to expand the following year (if you fall in love like I did).  Every plant requires a different amount of space so make sure to take that into account!  Some plants you can trellis to save space in the garden if you need it!  See the link below to a great article with plant spacing chart.
    
   https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/plant-spacing-chart.htm
    
   Once you know what you want to grow (and how many) I always draw a schematic.
    
   
    
   Having a visual aid will definitely help you pick a location that will fit your ambitions.
5. ACCESSIBILITLY.  What I mean by this is you’re more likely to spend more time in the garden and enjoy it if you have easy access to the tools and equipment you need near the garden.  If you have to constantly haul tools or your water source (hose, sprinkler system) from very far away you might be less likely to get out there, less likely to water, and less likely to succeed.
6. PEST CONTROL.  This one can be tricky but once you get a feel for your property you will get a feel for what animals might be an issue and how to avoid them.  I have found that some of the worst culprits to vegetable gardens are chipmunks, woodchucks, and deer.  If you have seen deer moving through your yard you have probably noticed that they generally follow the same paths only moving from that path if something interests or scares them.  Try to avoid placing your gardens in these paths or you’re just asking for trouble.  If you live in an area with a lot of wildlife (like I do) I recommend fencing in your garden.  This can be done in so many ways.  Cheap or expensive.  I have fencing posts like these, https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-Common-5-in-x-7-ft-Actual-0-6-in-x-5-in-x-7-ft-Powder-Coated-Steel-U-Post-Post/50029262.
   We spaced them out and then we zip tied on chicken wire making sure it was flush with the ground.  I haven’t had a problem with critters yet this year.

It might be a little late to start a vegetable garden this year but if you’ve been dreaming of starting one now is a great time to walk around your property and pick the perfect location for next year.  In the early Fall till your location and add fertilizer and you will be ahead of the game for next Spring!

Happy Gardening!