Overwhelmed by choice: what to look for when starting your garden this season

The most exciting part of the garden I think most like to think is the most important part of your garden process is the seed selection you pick and grow for that season. And don't get me wrong this step is import too but a lot of people trying thier hands at gardening forget the most import componet, soil. The importance of good soil is a vital foundation to having a successful season. Soil is the foundation to providing your crops with all the vital nutrients for plants to grow and perform at their best.

Before you start your gardens in the spring consider the best location for your new beds (raised or level to the ground). Is the soil compacted at all in that location? Is anything currently growing there and is slow to grow in comparison to other locations in your yard? The number one thing Id say to look for is, what is around the area your looking at growing, trees? If so trees, not only provide shade, which may be something you like for the current bed depending on your plants lighting requirements, but tree roots can impact the soil in many ways. The roots make it hard for the new seeding to grow and compete with the large root systems of a big tree. The tree will also take up more moisture from the soil, and draw water away from your seedlings. Different species of trees have different types of root systems that can travel further away from the base of the tree, so its a good thing to consider when growing.

Any development around? As in, are there any sheds, or house, fence, barn your looking at putting the garden beside? The locations can be great to grow in, but when it comes to soil it tends to be compacted, drier, and stones, making it harden to grow in. Not to mention these locations also have downspouts, which is great for easy water access and a potential rain barrel. It also means the soil can be washed out from good down pours or hast a build up of roof run off such as pieces of ash-fault from shingles, for example. This will not matter much if you are a growing plant meant for perennial beds, but you do not water your veggies to be absorbing chemicals from the run off and into your body when you digest them.

The best thing I can recommend to start is by testing your soil, which you simply buy at any home hardware store, amazon and local feed stores.

Stay tuned for my next post where Ill break down just how easy it is to do the test (normally four testing components) and if your soil tests high or low, what you can do.