Herb & Vegetable Gardening Basics

Novice gardeners can enjoy healthy gardens that produce quality vegetables and herbs when they take the time to understand herb and vegetable gardening basics. A successful garden begins with the right location, healthy soil and appropriate garden layout and by choosing the right combination of plants to grow.

1. Location

   • Choose an area that receives at least six to eight hours of full sunlight. Avoid choosing a location near trees or bushes; they have far-reaching roots that take nutrients and water required by the herb and vegetable garden. Purchase a soil pH-level testing kit and test the soil in the garden location. Testing kits are available for purchase at most stores that have a gardening section. Herb and vegetable plants grow best in soil with pH levels ranging from 6.0 to 8.0. Amend soil with ground limestone to raise low pH and with elemental sulfur, composted leaves or leaf mold to lower pH.
     Herbs and vegetables require fertile, well-drained soil. Amend poorly draining soil with generous amounts of rich organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure. Mix sand into heavy clay soil to improve drainage. Mix organic matter into sandy soils to improve moisture retention. Add mulch between rows of plants to help retain moisture in the soil and control weeds.

   Method

   • An important aspect of herb and vegetable gardening basics is understanding how to structure and plan a garden. With vertical gardening, use trellises to train garden plants to climb rather than sprawl across the ground. Vertical gardening is effective when space is limited. Planting herbs or slow-growing plants between fast-growing plants saves space. This method is called "intercropping." With intercropping, fast-growing plants are harvested before the slower-growing plants require more area. Most herbs perform well planted between vegetables.
     Succession planting is accomplished by planting different crops in the same spot according to season. Plant, harvest and remove cool-weather crops during the spring and early summer. Replace them with fast-growing, heat-loving crops. After harvesting the heat-loving plants, plant another cool-weather crop. Growing spinach in the spring, green beans in the summer and spinach again in the fall is an example of succession planting.

   Plants

   • Understanding herb and vegetable gardening basics assists the novice gardener in choosing plants. Choose plants based on a realistic analysis of the amount of sunlight they will receive, soil type, and space available. Some herb and vegetable plants prefer to have full sun continuously, while others wilt under the afternoon sun. Choose plants that can be trained to climb (indeterminate tomatoes) over bushy plants (determinate tomatoes) when space is limited. Low-growing herbs, such as oregano, act as living mulch in a cramped garden.
     Herbs can be annuals, biennials and perennials. Annuals require planting every year, biennials every two years; perennials return every year. Mark biennial and perennial herb locations to avoid disturbing them the following spring when replanting the garden. Grow plants with similar watering and feeding needs together.

Posted in: Gardening Basics