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Anybody who is planning a vegetable garden planting will be glad of this handy checklist. We cover exactly what to do and when, and look at what you need to take into account when you are planning and planting a vegetable garden.

Planning The Site

The best site for a vegetable garden is in a sunny spot, perhaps not in full sun all day, but getting a good amount of sunlight. It should also be flat. If the only available land has a significant slope, dig it into terraces so that water will not simply run down the slope and leave your young vegetable plants high and dry – literally.

Ideally the vegetable garden planting takes place near the house so that you can see your growing vegetables and do not forget to check on them, water them or harvest them when ripe. You will want to protect your vegetable garden with a rabbit proof fence. This will also stop dogs digging up your plants.

What To Plant

When considering what to plant, the first consideration is what you and your family like to eat! There is no point in producing a huge crop of perfect cabbages if you all hate them.

Next think about the soil and climate that you have and what will grow well in it. You may know this already or can find out by asking neighbors. If not, test the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of your soil using a testing kit that you can buy at most gardening nurseries. For climate conditions, start here and you will find a lot of helpful links for your location, plus links to plants that suit certain climates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone

Where To Plant What

It is easiest if plants are grouped according to their harvesting period. So for example everything that will be harvested early is in the same area, so that when they are all over you can clear the area and plant something else there. Perennials such as asparagus and some fruits should be at the side or in another place where they will not be damaged when you are digging up annuals after their harvest.

It is always good practice to rotate your vegetable garden planting. This helps to prevent pests from becoming established, and returns certain nutrients to the soil.

Do not crowd your plants. Take note of instructions that come with seeds or look up the required spacing in gardening books for seedlings. If it says to plant many seeds or seedlings and then thin them out later, do not forget to do it. Plants need air and light to circulate, or they will suffer from fungal diseases and poor growth.

Some plants make good buddies and seem to thrive from being planted next to each other. These are called companion plants. Examples are marigolds (or basil) and tomatoes (or peppers). Cucumbers, corn and beans are another good combination. Look online for more lists of companion plants to optimize your vegetable garden planting.

Organic weed killer or herbicide can be used in organic gardens to kill unwanted plant growth without introducing dangerous chemicals into your backyard. Many people will look for organic weed killer even if they do not have a 100% organic garden. In a vegetable garden, you probably do not want to spray a lot of unknown chemicals onto plants that you are growing for food. And even if you only have lawn and flowers, organic weed killer will usually be safer for pets. Do check labels, however, because ingredients can vary.

The word ‘organic’ has two different meanings. One is any substance that is carbon based. This includes virtually all weed killers. The other meaning is a product that can be used on land that has been certified for organic food production. This is what we usually mean when we talk about organic weed killer, and there are not so many of these products. So if you are buying a commercial weed killer, you will need to check that it is for organic land.

Herbicide (which just means ‘plant killer’) comes in two types. Selective herbicides kill certain plants only, for example, a broad leaf weed killer will kill clover, dandelion and similar weeds in a lawn without harming the grass. Non-selective herbicides kill all plants. These would not usually be used in a garden but you may have areas of the yard where you do not want anything to grow, for example on a gravel area.

Non-selective chemical weed killer that kills everything can be dangerous to use in a garden because it can be spread into other areas by rain and prevent anything from growing. The main organic version is vinegar, used in around 15% to 20% concentration in water. You can spray this over the unwanted plants during a dry spell and they should die off. The weeds may grow back but not so strongly. Repeated spraying will usually prevent regrowth in the end. Do not use on areas where you may want to grow other plants later.

A better solution for many organic gardens is to use a layer of felt or sheets of newspaper under the gravel or decking where you do not want weeds to grow. Or if you have a large area that you want to clear before replanting, you might use a flame gun to burn off the weeds. This should be done when they are wet, so that the fire does not spread.

A possible selective weed killer is citrus oil or D-limonene. Painted onto the leaves of unwanted plants, it strips them of their waxy protective surface. This will cause them to dehydrate and die. Be careful not to contaminated wanted plants with the citrus oil, because it will kill them too.

Some people are against the use of any type of weed killer in an organic garden. It is true that usually you can control weeds by hand. However, in some cases such as around paths or in large gardens this can be difficult. Organic weed killer can be a solution in these cases.

Why spend a lot of money on commercial organic pesticides when you can easily and cheaply make your own at home? You will be surprised to know how many items that you have around the house can be used for organic pest control in your own garden. Here are just a few ideas.

Garlic

Garlic is technically not a pesticide because it does not usually kill but it repels many pests. They just don’t like the taste or the smell. You can use garlic for pest control in two ways.

First, planting garlic around other plants will keep many pests off. Garlic planted around tomatoes can prevent red spider mite. (Salt water spray is also good against spider mite.) Around fruit trees, garlic plants can repel borer beetles whose larvae would bore into your tree trunk, damaging or even killing the tree.

Second, you can make an organic pest control spray from garlic blended with water or oil. Use the water mixture directly on growing vegetables or flowers to prevent rabbits and other invaders from snacking on your plants. Use the oil mixture to spray onto ponds. It will form a film on the surface of the pond that can kill mosquitoes.

Boric acid (known in other forms as boracic acid, borates or borax)

This was a common product found in most households until recent years and you can still buy it in drugstores or online. It is often used as an ingredient in industrial pesticides, but it is a natural product mined in the Mojave desert.

Boric acid has anti fungal properties so it can be used to get rid of mildew and other molds and fungi. In powdered form it can be very effective against ants, termites, ticks, fleas, bedbugs, slugs, earwigs, beetles, roaches and even scorpions. It will also kill crickets and grasshoppers.

Boric acid is mildly toxic to humans or pets, although not much more dangerous than table salt. A pet would have to eat a lot to suffer symptoms, and humans even more. However, do not take internally and do not use in large quantities on plants that pets will lick or eat.

Soap

Liquid detergent and other soaps can be effective sprayed onto roses and other plants that suffer from aphids or other small fly infestations. It can also work well against slugs. For extra punch, add equal quantities of hot chili peppers, horseradish (roots and leaves), spearmint and green onion tops to your soapy water.

Many home made organic pest control products do not kill the insects and other pests, but simply prevent them from coming near your plants. This will be important to you if you prefer not to kill any living beings for religious or ethical reasons – or just for good karma. However, other products such as boric acid are true pesticides. You can also find many commercial organic pesticides for sale either online or in your local area.