A garden is a great way to get fresh food every spring and summer while improving your neighborhood.

Dig In!

Planting a garden can be a great way to transform that bare spot in your backyard or local schoolyard into a perfect plot for fruit, nuts and veggies. You can donate what you grow to soup kitchens in your area. Also, cultivating your own food supply is a great way to save money on groceries and a fun way to get some exercise.

Pick your Spot

First you have to find an area where your garden can grow. Choose a sunny spot not larger than 6’ x 6’. You should start small so you don’t overwhelm yourself with work right away. You can always go bigger once you get the hang of it.

Cleaning is Key

Before you plant or start adding good soil. Pull all the weeds in your area, clean up glass or other garbage and make the area fit for growing food—you don’t want a garden ruled by weeds because nothing will be able to grow.

Farming Time

Use a shovel to turn the dirt over in the plot in order to loosen up the soil. If the dirt is extremely hard, chances are plants will have trouble growing through it. If so, you should pick a new location. If the soil is just kind of hard or not hard, water it and work in organic compost with a spade to a depth of about 1 foot. You can buy organic compost at a local store or you can make your own—for tips on how to make your own compost, click here.

Time to Plant

Time to plant some seeds. It is very important to select seeds that you know will grow well in your area. You can check with someone at your local nursery or consult sources online for ideas on what to grow. When you have the seeds, read the packages carefully for any special instructions. Sow your seeds. Check packages for planting depths. As a loose rule, the bigger the seed, the deeper you must plant it.

Water

As soon as you are done planting so the soil settles around the roots of the plants. However, don’t drench the ground. After this first watering, water your plants only when the soil around them is dry to the touch. Add organic mulch only after you begin to see some growth in your plants.

Maintenance

Enjoy your garden. Watch it grow and measure it. Make sure you take care of it and that it gets enough sunlight. Soon you will have an array of fruit, nuts and veggies to donate or snack on.