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Step 3: Planting

Planting Your Vegetable Garden
Step 3: Planting Your Vegetable Garden: Starting Your Vegetables Garden: Fruits And Veggies More Matters.org

Now you’re ready to begin planting. Different plants require different depths in the soil but generally, plant seeds at a depth that is twice their diameter. Following this rule, you’ll find that the smallest seeds will be planted just beneath the surface.

Depth & Spacing
While the planting depth does differ somewhat, generally speaking seeds should be planted in a row 2-3” deep and 4-5” apart. A row of seeds should be planted 2-4 feet from the next to avoid overcrowding.

Rotation
To extend your harvest, seeds such as lettuce, peas, beans, carrots and radishes can be planted every 2-3 weeks. This rotation will help to ensure you have enough of these vegetables throughout the entire summer, even into early fall.

Seedlings
For most fruit and vegetable seeds, you’ll begin to see seedlings (small plants) within 2-3 weeks from the date of planting.

Tomatoes, Beans and Peas

Tomatoes: Something to keep in mind is that you’ll have to include an extra step when planting tomato plants as they will continue to grow all season. In order to keep them from laying on the ground where they are vulnerable to rotting, they need some kind of support. A popular and proven option is to use wire “cages.” When working with the wire mesh, you will need to make them roughly 5 feet tall and about 12 – 30 inches in diameter. Make sure you fasten the cages on both sides with short stakes to prevent them from falling over. Or you can go the more traditional route and use basic stakes and twine.

Beans and Peas: When planting beans and peas of any kind, use wooden stakes and twine to support the plants and save the vegetables from disease and rotting. Use 6 foot tall, 1 – 2 inch wide stakes and set about 3 or 4 feet apart between the plants (down the center of the row of plants). Once plants are about a foot or so tall you’ll string the twine down each row of plants and wrap it around each of the stakes. At the end of the row you’ll work the twine back in the opposite direction with the end result as having an area for the plants to weave through the twine as they grow. The wire cages and stakes and twine can be easily found at your local lawn and garden or hardware store.

Remember … to reap the greatest harvest, keep your garden weed-free and the soil moist.

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