So you’ve decided to learn how to plan a vegetable garden at home. Maybe you’re looking for a change from the big city? Or maybe you want to add some extra vegetables to your diet. Whatever the case, the best way to do that is with a vegetable garden at home.

Choose a spot for your vegetable garden that’s near your water source, has lots of sunlight and good soil. Find a spot with drainage and check for plant weeds. Choose your vegetables wisely. Prepare your soil by sprinkling fertilizer or applying compost.

Plant the seeds early. Keep the weeds out as much as possible by digging a hole in the ground before you plant the seedlings. Make sure the bottom is dry and then cover the area with peat moss, mulch, or wood chips. Planting seeds directly into the ground can damage the roots.

After planting, make sure to water the seeds every day. The last thing you want is to have a garden full of dead vegetables. Keep it in moist until the seeds sprout.

When the seeds germinate, spread the compost over the area and cover with plastic. Be careful not to plant the seeds too close to each other or they may compete with each other for nutrients. If you choose to use organic compost, use bags, not buckets, to place the mixture under the plastic. Cover the compost completely with a tarp or some other heavy covering to protect the plants from too much sun or wind damage.

Once the vegetable garden begins to grow, you’ll want to fertilize it every week during the growing season. You can get an inexpensive soil pourer at your local nursery or hardware store for less than $10. Fertilizing is just part of the plan, though. You should also do periodic watering and prune your vegetables at the right time.

You’ll want to plant your vegetables as early as possible in spring. This is the time to put the first crops on. If you are doing a row of garden beds, lay the seeds on top of one another. In row systems, put the seeds on top of the previous row.

Water the rows regularly. The best time to water is when the soil has begun to dry. Do this at least once a week. If you live in an area where snowfall occurs more frequently than once a year, you might want to wait until the last weekend in March or April to water. Use a hose or your garden hose reel to apply water.

Do not water the plants until they are tall and green. Green vegetables will retain more water than their dark-colored counterparts. This is because they are more water-absorbing.