A vegetable garden is a wonderful addition to your yard.

It’s rewarding to watch you plants grow and produce ripe, ready-to-eat vegetables. Many find the time that they spend nurturing their vegetable gardens as a form of meditation or relaxation after a long day of work. While others get a sense of accomplishment and joy from watching the fruit of their efforts prosper. Either way you look at it, one positive effect that growing your own fruits and vegetables has is on your wallet; by not paying high prices for quality vegetables just to see them spoil in the fridge before you have a chance to eat them.

Although there are many rewards to growing your own vegetable garden, it can be very depressing and discouraging to see your garden wither from disease or pests. Listed below are some tips to help you overcome some of the common pitfalls of growing your own vegetables.

Starting Out Right

• When picking a location for your vegetable garden, choose a sunny place preferably within view of your kitchen so that you can keep an eye on your vegetables and conveniently harvest when they are ripe.
• Apply your compost 2 to 3 weeks prior to planting in order to give it time to integrate and stabilize in the soil.
• Soaking seeds before germination gives them a jump on the growing season.
• Rather than direct sowing, consider starting seedlings inside on a windowsill or in a greenhouse to be transplanted after the treat of frost is past for quicker results. This strategy works well in any climate but especially in colder climates.
• Deposit a handful of compost into the bottom of each hole when transplanting a flower or vegetable seedling to provide them with an extra boost that will last throughout the growing season.

Choosing Your Plants

• Take some time to research plants that are better suited to your climate and growing area and choose your plants accordingly.
• Don’t plant the same crop in the same location every year. Crop rotation will not only add much needed nutrients to your soil but it will also prevent disease from building up.
• Companion planting is a great way to attract beneficial bugs and critters to your garden.
• Companion planting also enables your prize crops to thrive by adding nutrients to the soil.

Preventing Pests & Disease

• Many plants have natural insect repelling abilities such as garlic, onions, chives, chrysanthemums and marigolds. Planting one or some of these plants around the perimeter helps to repel pests.
• Remove over-ripe vegetables from your garden as soon as possible to avoid them becoming targets for pests.
• Prevent cutworms from eating your seedlings by protecting them with the cardboard centers of toilet paper rolls.
• Good air flow between plants can help prevent many types of fungal diseases so avoid planting your vegetables too close together.
• Diseases spread rapidly in dead, fallen foliage. At least once a week, walk through your garden and pick up any shed leaves. You can also sometimes prevent the spread of disease through an entire plant by simply removing the infected foliage.

Eliminating Weeds

• Spreading layer of organic mulch 1 to 2 inches thich over the soil in your garden helps reduce weeds and also helps prevent fungal disease spores from splashing up on your plants and vegetables.
• Using newspaper covered with straw (or other organic mulch) between garden rows with eliminate weeds and retain moisture. Just rototill the paper and straw into the soil at the end of growing season to decompose and you will have a head start on preparing your soil for the next growing season.

Watering Properly

• As little as a five percent increase in compost in your garden will quadruple your soil’s ability to retain moisture.
• Water you garden in the early morning to conserve moisture loss and to help avoid mildew and other fungal diseases from spreading due to high humidity levels like in the afternoon or evening hours.
• Using a soaker hose to deliver water directly to the roots of your plants will conserve water and prevent wet leaves that can attract disease.
• Don’t over water your plants; over watering can lead to root rot.

Fertilizing Your Vegetables

• It is not necessary to fertilize most soils but it can help your vegetables grow faster and produce better crops. Choose natural, organic products like animal manure from plant-eating critters to feed your plants. You don’t want chemicals on your edibles and they are better for the environment.
• Another reason to use natural, organic fertilizers is because earthworms love them! Earthworms are extremely beneficial to your vegetable garden. They increasing air space in the soil and leave behind worm castings that enrich the soil.