Are you toying with the idea of growing a vegetable garden? Before you launch this plan, you need to think about the location.
Growing a garden isn't as simple as picking a spot in your yard and digging it out. There are many things you need to take into consideration.
If you aren't sure what you need to be looking for to give your garden the best shot, you came to the right place. I'll tell you what you need to look for to find the best spot for your garden.
Most vegetables desire full sunlight, which means they will need access to the sun for at least six hours a day.
But most plants are happier with more. If you can find a location that gets full sun for six to ten hours a day, you found a spot that is worth keeping under consideration for your garden.
However, if you can't clear trees, then try to find a location that gets morning sun.
We all need water. We can't live without it. You need to keep this in mind when looking for a garden location.
You'll want a location that is near water. If you must drag your water hose 20 feet just to water the garden, there is a good chance it will get neglected. Make things as easy as you can to care for your garden by placing it near water.
Consider putting your garden near a water spigot. If that location doesn't work well for other garden location criteria, consider running a water hose to your garden to make watering easier.
Also, if you have well water on your property, consider putting your garden near the pump. That way you can hook directly into the well for watering.
The soil is the foundation of your garden. You can always work on your soil to make it better, but if you have a place in your yard that already has decent soil, that would be the ideal place to start.
From there, if you want to enrich the soil, you have that much better of a foundation to start with. It will give your garden a significant boost and one more reason to thrive.
If you are unsure if the soil is good, try the soil test. Drench the area with water and let it stand for a day.
The next day, grab a hand full of dirt and squeeze it as hard as you can to compress it.
When you open your hand, if the soil immediately crumbles, you know that it is too sandy. If it falls apart gently like a brownie, you know that the soil is good.
If you've ever planted anything, you know that it is essential to plant on flat land. The reason being that if you plant on a hill, the water will run downhill when you water your garden.
Your plants can be drowned, or you have an unequal distribution of water, and seeds will wash away during watering or a rainstorm.
These are not ideal conditions, which is why you'll want to find flat ground to place your garden.
Do you enjoy working in a sink that clogs easily? The answer to that is a universal, "No!" The reason being that when a drain clogs, it makes it difficult to get the job done.
The same reasoning goes along with well-drained soil. If the soil doesn't drain, the plants can't grow. They'll suffocate under the water.
If you pick a location with well-drained soil, the plants can thrive because they can get the amount of water they need without being overwhelmed.
Your garden needs to be in a location that can breathe. You don't want to plant it among a dense array of other plants because it will be hard for air to circulate there.
Instead, choose a location that will give your garden ample space to breathe. It needs to be able to feel the wind.
It may sound trivial, but proper airflow can deter different types of mold and mildew from growing on your plants. These diseases can kill your garden, and they spread easily.
Airflow is one of the primary preventions for these diseases.
If you worry about your garden getting too much wind, consider putting up a garden wall. It should keep the wind from being harmful to your garden while still giving it plenty of air for breathing.
It is always important to call your local authorities before you begin digging a garden, especially if you live in urban areas.
If you don't, you could easily hit a water line or another type of buried utility line, quite dangerous for the person digging!
However, it can also cause issues for your household and your neighbors as well if you accidentally hit a buried utility line.
But more importantly, if you hit an electric line underground when digging, it could be fatal. Be sure to know what is under your potential garden location before you begin creating it.
There are different reasons to start a garden. You could be growing for survival, growing for beauty, but regardless you must enjoy gardening on some level, or you wouldn't do it at all.
That is why it is recommended to put your garden in a convenient location. That way you don't have to go out of your way to get to it and enjoy it. Keep the garden as close to your house as you can for simplicity sake.
Also, if you want to put a patio in your garden to entertain in, it makes the location more convenient and functional as well.
Most people will not have to worry about this step in the garden location process. On the off chance you are someone that might have this issue on their property, it is worth the mention.
If you know that substances such as oil or lead paint have been dumped in a specific area on your property, do not grow in those areas. These substances can be in the ground and could show up in your food. It is not safe or healthy!
With that in mind, avoid gardening in these locations. Make sure that you place your garden as far from these locations as possible.
If you are concerned about the safety of your soil, consider testing your soil for contaminations.
Frost pockets can make gardening difficult. We know that cold air sinks while warm air rises because cold air is denser than warm air.
For this reason, cold air can find the lowest part of your garden and will rest there causing frost pockets.
Avoid planting in these areas because if you plant a seedling in a frost pocket, it can be easily killed.
Keep in mind where frost pockets could be located. If you can eliminate them from your garden, do it. If you can't, you'll need to mark them on your garden plan to avoid planting in those locations.
I already mentioned that it is ideal to place your garden in a convenient location. Surely you don't want to hike through the woods to get to your garden.
Instead, place the garden where you can take a short walk through your yard and enjoy it easily.
Along the same line, you want your garden location to be easily accessed as well. If you could put your garden near a walkway, that would be ideal.
A walkway makes it easier to walk to your garden whether it be to care for it or entertain in it.
Also, make sure you can maneuver a wheelbarrow easily to get to your garden. It needs to be located where you can get garden supplies to your garden as simply as possible too.
If you live in a rural area, you may not have to consider where you put your garden. It is important to speak with your landlord if you don't own your home before planting a garden.
But if you live in an urban area, you'll want to check your HOA rules before planting a garden. You don't want your garden location to cause an uproar in the neighborhood.
By planting your garden according to your neighborhood rules, this will ensure that you can enjoy gardening for years to come without upsetting any neighbors.
But what if your HOA makes it challenging to garden?
You should consider planting edible items that are also ornamental. You can plant asparagus in between flowers in beds. You could also plant blueberry bushes as shrubbery. It just may take extra creativity on your part.
You could also consider planting a container garden if you have HOA or landlord issues.
Now you have 12 items to take into consideration when deciding where to plant your garden. The right location can determine how well your garden prospers, and can also make caring for it much more manageable.
Now, I want to hear from you. Do you have any garden location tips that you use and have found them helpful?
We'd love to hear. Leave us your thoughts in the comment section below.