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Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

A healthy garden starts with good preparation. Make sure you’ve got all the materials you need to grow that bountiful harvest!

Before you can plant your veggies, you’ll need to prepare your soil to ensure your vegetables have the optimum environment for growth.

For a garden planted in newly turned earth, it’s wise to check your soil’s drainage, fertility and acid-alkaline balance by testing it and making any necessary changes before planting your vegetables. Most garden soils can be improved by adding ample organic material to loosen dense clays; help retain water in sandy soils; provide a balanced mix of macronutrients, micronutrients, other trace elements and living soil organisms; and to buffer too-alkaline or too-acidic soils.

In special situations – and depending on the results of your soil test – amend your soil by adding garden lime to sweeten it or sulfur to make it more acidic. Gypsum is another additive that can help drainage and porosity if your soil is too dense. Apply a fertilizer of well-rotted manure or decomposed plant waste to increase fertility, and consider enzyme-rich kelp extract to promote strong plants and quick growth.

For container and raised-bed gardens, some different preparations are necessary. Pots should be sterilized prior to use to avoid infecting plants with any fungal diseases that might be present. You’ll also need to be sure your containers have large drainage holes to prevent water from standing in the pots, making them susceptible to suffocation, softened roots and fungal infection.

Where garden soil conditions are too challenging or the site slopes, consider building raised beds or terraces and filling them with fertile soil. (Raised beds lined with porous landscape fabric are simple to build and assure a successful garden.)

There are several other preparatory steps that you should consider before you plant your vegetables: Besides preparing your beds, rows and hills, you may need to protect your garden from animal pests. Or if you’d like to use vertical space, install trellises and other supports before sowing seed. And you’ll certainly want to organize your irrigation regardless of your site and garden type.

With these facts in mind, you’ll be ready to plant your veggies and await that bountiful harvest!