What is the Best Place for an Edible Garden?

What is the Best Place for an Edible Garden?
Are you planning on growing a fruit or vegetable garden this year? Cultivating your land is a great way to utilize it for your benefit. Growing your veggies, fruit, and berries can help reduce your annual food bill and give you an organically grown, sustainable food source. What is the best place for an edible garden on your property? Follow the tips in this guide to find the perfect location for your garden and robust crops.

What is the Best Place for an Edible Garden?

Assess Sunlight Exposure

Sunlight is vital for healthy plants. Your location should receive at least six hours (preferably eight hours) of sun. The more sun exposure, the better. Ensure you assess the spot for changes in sunlight hours as the seasons pass.

Assess Water Sources

Ensure you have a clean water source near your garden bed. You could have a garden faucet nearby, a drip irrigation system, or a hose to reach the location. If you want to go renewable and take a sustainable approach to watering the area, direct the rainfall from your gutters to a rain barrel near the garden.
However, you must ensure the barrel is clean and protected from contaminants like bird droppings containing pathogens that kill your garden. Water the garden in the morning to reduce soil evaporation.

Assess Soil Quality

A veggie garden needs soil that drains well to prevent clay from forming. Overly saturated soil creates root rot in most plants, resulting in a failed crop. Check the ground around your prospective site after a heavy downpour and look for water pooling.
If it drains away without pooling, your garden has a good soil structure. The soil must have sufficient nutrients to feed the plants and maximize your harvest. If the soil is barren, you’ll need to add amendments to it to improve its fertility.

Pests & Wildlife

Ensure your edible garden is in a site you can protect from pests, wildlife, and pathogens. Don’t set it up in an area without natural airflow, as it attracts pathogens that infest the garden and kill the plants.
If you have wildlife like rabbits and deer in the area, fence off the garden to keep them out. Deer can jump up to eight feet in the air, so consider that fact when planning the height of your fence.

Assessing Slope

Avoid soil erosion by leveling the garden to prevent run-off. Plant terrace-style rows opposite the slope’s direction to create contoured terraces if your garden is on a hill. A raised bed prevents run-off in heavy rains, keeping the valuable topsoil in your garden, not the municipal water system.

Garden Size

Some plants, like muskmelon, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes, need a large growing area, while others, like carrots, beets, and onions, can yield huge crops in confined growing areas. As a beginner gardener, use a 10-foot x 10-foot garden size to make it manageable.

Pet Considerations

Don’t plant the garden in dog runs; your dog won’t care if there’s a veggie garden in the way, and they’ll tear right through it. Use fencing or shade cloth to prevent them from entering the growing area and peeing on your plants.

Consider the Neighbors

Don’t plant the garden too close to the wall. Your neighbor might find the plants growing over your wall, leading to a conflict. Vines, like eggplant, are especially leggy and can climb walls, causing problems with your neighbors.

Creating an Edible Garden

Growing your food is a very rewarding experience, and it takes a big bite out of your annual food bill. However, planting your edible home garden requires careful planning to ensure a successful crop. Follow the tips in this guide to position the garden, and you’ll experience a bountiful harvest this season. Happy growing!

SOLMAUNA Creations & Landscaping Designs in Colorado

Our team of landscape designers brings a unique combination of landscape architecture education paired with extensive knowledge of plants to the table. Contact us today.

What is the Best Place for an Edible Garden?

What is the Best Place for an Edible Garden?
Are you planning on growing a fruit or vegetable garden this year? Cultivating your land is a great way to utilize it for your benefit. Growing your veggies, fruit, and berries can help reduce your annual food bill and give you an organically grown, sustainable food source. What is the best place for an edible garden on your property? Follow the tips in this guide to find the perfect location for your garden and robust crops.

What is the Best Place for an Edible Garden?

Assess Sunlight Exposure

Sunlight is vital for healthy plants. Your location should receive at least six hours (preferably eight hours) of sun. The more sun exposure, the better. Ensure you assess the spot for changes in sunlight hours as the seasons pass.

Assess Water Sources

Ensure you have a clean water source near your garden bed. You could have a garden faucet nearby, a drip irrigation system, or a hose to reach the location. If you want to go renewable and take a sustainable approach to watering the area, direct the rainfall from your gutters to a rain barrel near the garden.
However, you must ensure the barrel is clean and protected from contaminants like bird droppings containing pathogens that kill your garden. Water the garden in the morning to reduce soil evaporation.

Assess Soil Quality

A veggie garden needs soil that drains well to prevent clay from forming. Overly saturated soil creates root rot in most plants, resulting in a failed crop. Check the ground around your prospective site after a heavy downpour and look for water pooling.
If it drains away without pooling, your garden has a good soil structure. The soil must have sufficient nutrients to feed the plants and maximize your harvest. If the soil is barren, you’ll need to add amendments to it to improve its fertility.

Pests & Wildlife

Ensure your edible garden is in a site you can protect from pests, wildlife, and pathogens. Don’t set it up in an area without natural airflow, as it attracts pathogens that infest the garden and kill the plants.
If you have wildlife like rabbits and deer in the area, fence off the garden to keep them out. Deer can jump up to eight feet in the air, so consider that fact when planning the height of your fence.

Assessing Slope

Avoid soil erosion by leveling the garden to prevent run-off. Plant terrace-style rows opposite the slope’s direction to create contoured terraces if your garden is on a hill. A raised bed prevents run-off in heavy rains, keeping the valuable topsoil in your garden, not the municipal water system.

Garden Size

Some plants, like muskmelon, cucumbers, and sweet potatoes, need a large growing area, while others, like carrots, beets, and onions, can yield huge crops in confined growing areas. As a beginner gardener, use a 10-foot x 10-foot garden size to make it manageable.

Pet Considerations

Don’t plant the garden in dog runs; your dog won’t care if there’s a veggie garden in the way, and they’ll tear right through it. Use fencing or shade cloth to prevent them from entering the growing area and peeing on your plants.

Consider the Neighbors

Don’t plant the garden too close to the wall. Your neighbor might find the plants growing over your wall, leading to a conflict. Vines, like eggplant, are especially leggy and can climb walls, causing problems with your neighbors.

Creating an Edible Garden

Growing your food is a very rewarding experience, and it takes a big bite out of your annual food bill. However, planting your edible home garden requires careful planning to ensure a successful crop. Follow the tips in this guide to position the garden, and you’ll experience a bountiful harvest this season. Happy growing!

SOLMAUNA Creations & Landscaping Designs in Colorado

Our team of landscape designers brings a unique combination of landscape architecture education paired with extensive knowledge of plants to the table. Contact us today.