Vegetable Gardening Preparation – Soil and Disease Control

After you've decided on a location for your garden and what type of vegetables you want to plant, there's still a bit of work to do. The next, and possibly most important step, is preparing the soil.

Depending on what type of soil you have, you can't always count on your plants receiving the nutrients they need from it. This could also result from the ground being drained of it's nutrients from years of planting. In any case, it is repairable.

You'll need to test your soil with an inexpensive testing kit to give you an accurate starting point. These tests will tell you all you need to know about the condition of your soil. They are simple to use and will provide you with pH and nutrient levels, as well as other information. If you don't trust the results from these tests, you could contact a local university, as they can provide more accurate results.

Once you've tested your soil, you'll need to make adjustments, if necessary. Small amounts of sulfur or lime will adjust your pH levels. The need to adjust it either way will depend on the types of vegetables you're planting. Pine trees will drop needles that will make the surrounding soil lean more toward the acidic side. If your garden is in that area, it will need some treatment. Most vegetables prefer soil that is a medium level (pH 6.0-6.5).

Some adjustments in the amount of tilling you do may be necessary, depending on the make up of your soil. Some soils are clay-like or sandy, or a mixture of both. Rototillers can be rented, but if you're planning on planting a garden every year, you'll use it enough to justify buying one.

Aerating and turning the soil will provide pockets of oxygen necessary for growing healthy plants. It will also free up the soil to allow the roots to spread properly. This will also allow water to penetrate and drain properly. The roots will be able to spread without going too deep, giving the plant the support structure it needs.

This is also the time to begin weed control measures. Proper preparation now will save you a lot of work later on. Even though you can't see weeds at the time, there are seeds in the soil that will sprout into weeds later. There are anti-weed soil treatments that are designed to prevent this. The best time to do this is before you plant. These treatments are safe for your veggies, as they are designed to only kill weeds.

Anti-weed fabric is another good way to get a head start on weed control. This fabric covers the ground, denying the weeds the water and sunlight they need to grow. It can also physically restrain weeds as they try to come up.

Before planting is also a good time to get a start on insect and disease control. Biological controls are one way to do this. Japanese beetle larvae, for example, can be subdued by a bacteria called milky spores. There are also several safe and effective pesticides that will take care of a number of different harmful insects. Taking these preventative steps early on will save you a lot of headaches later.

There are many advantages to preparing your soil before you plant. This will give you the best chance to raise up a healthy and productive garden.