The thing to remember while gardening is to begin small. A small plant bed, about 25 or 30 sq ft is perfect, is simply enough room for about 30 plants. This will give you a chance to test out your green thumb and when you discover that you enjoy a garden you could expand and increase your plantings.

The next matter you will want to do is choose a site. Gardening must be done in an area that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight. Try and stay from large trees that will take your plants water and nutrients, and a minimum of one yard from any fences or buildings. In hot climates it’s a good idea to select a location which will have shade from the part of the intense afternoon sun. It is possible to have a healthy garden with even ten to twelve hours of sunlight, but the type of plants should be adaptable. While soil can always be improved, a site with good soil is a plus. Avoid areas which have rocky soil, steep slopes, or places that water stands.

Now comes the fun part: start digging. Gardening is not a clean hobby; you”re going to have to acquire some dirt beneath your nails. First remove the rocks, debris, and any grass and weeds then dig the location up about one foot deep. Level in the dirt and add compost or minerals when the needed. If your soil is too acidic, add lime; if it’s too sandy, add peat moss. Plants will thrive in neutral to acidic soil with a little added fertilizer.

If you buy seeds then plant them based on the directions. If picking plants, choose ones with green, healthy looking leaves and stems and healthy roots. Put the smaller plants towards the front of the bed and larger ones in the back. The key to a successful beginning in square foot gardening is planting at the proper time. Make sure and wait until the frosts are gone before planting. If you’re planting seeds the package will often let you know exactly when you can plant them to achieve maximum growth.

Once you have started and gotten into gardening, making sure your plants receive enough water is essential to their growth. Hand watering is effective should you have only several plants. Other options include sprinklers or sprinkler hoses. Watering is more effective during the cooler areas of the day. The kind of plant is determined by just how much water is required, but many require a good inch per week. During the greatest periods plants is going to be need watering around three times per week.

Probably the most helpful items to add to a garden is mulch or compost. Just a few inches of organic mulch will improve fertility and help the soil hold moisture. Wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, manure, and pine needles are all things that may be used as mulch.