Vegetable gardens are fairly easy to begin and requires minimal care. Take advantage of your space and time by planting various vegetable crops that produce a large yield each season. The initial step in planning out a vegetable garden is to find out where you’ll be placing it. Then determine what vegetables you want to grow. After you have the basics figured out, it’s time to begin planting.

To start planning your garden, it’s helpful to figure out how big your garden will be based on the number of plants you plan on growing. One suggestion is to first determine the number of rows you will need for each variety of greens that you wish to grow. For example, if you have four different vegetable plants you want to grow, make sure that you account for at least twelve inches of space for each one.

You’ll need to purchase good soil. Look for a lightweight loam or perlite with a light to medium shade. Your soil should be moist but not damp. It should also drain well but not overly easily. Once you’ve got a good soil, it’s time to begin growing vegetables!

Different vegetables will require different amounts of water to survive. Cabbage leaves can be bothered by leafhoppers, so if you see leafhoppers around your plants, don’t plant those. Cabbage leaves are very susceptible to eating bugs such as aphids and lacebugs. To control these pesky insects, make your vegetable garden free of any insects with a chemical spray, either around the plants themselves or in the soil.

Sunlight is a critical factor in both the growth of vegetables and their quality. Although most greens grow best in partial to full sun, there are some exceptions. Carrots require six hours of direct sunlight, while cabbage does best in just four hours. Keep in mind that as the season progresses, the vegetables’ quality and taste worsen. If you cannot provide six hours of direct sunlight each week, plant your vegetables six hours before sunset.

Harvesting is another important part of vegetable growing. Harvesting doesn’t have to be difficult, as long as you know how to get your plants to stop growing in the summertime. Set your plants into pots once they reach the desired size, and water them daily to keep them hydrated. Remember to avoid over-watering, since this will cause your plants to wilt. In the winter, there’s no better time to harvest than when the weather is chilly. Wait until late in the evening or early in the morning, and check your plants’ leaves to determine if they are turning brown.

Planting low growing vegetables close to one another helps conserve space. Also, try and plant vegetables that do not need to be fertilized or sprayed with pesticides, such as lettuce and carrots. Cabbage leaves are high in chlorophyll, which converts into sugar when it is eaten, so do not eat too much of these leaves. Keep in mind that leafy vegetables like carrots will add a great deal of extra calories without you having to eat them. The amount of calories depends on how much water the leaves contain, so limit the amount of carrots you eat each day to prevent water loss.

When planning what types of vegetables you want to grow, choose plants that don’t need much attention but produce good results. These plants will usually do well in large pots that are planted in the garden to prevent weeds from growing in the area. For example, a plant that has yellow, red or purple leaves should be planted as a cover crop around the main crop you plan to eat. The plant will produce good tasting vegetables all year, and you can harvest them at the peak of their season. A similar method is planting strawberries around tomatoes. You can harvest strawberries all year around, but if you want your tomatoes to have a sweeter taste, you should only eat them at the peak of their ripeness.