Basic tips for growing a delicious vegetable garden

Planning a vegetable gardening that looks and tastes amazing doesn't have to be difficult. Here are some tips that will help you create a beautiful vegetable garden in no time.

• A successful vegetable garden that will supply your table with delicious produce should be located in a spot that gets at least six hours of full sun each day — the more sun, the better.
• Make sure the soil is well drained — water shouldn't pool after an average rainfall.
• A wire fence may be needed to keep out rabbits, deer and other wildlife.
• As you plant, give your seeds and sets (onions and potato eyes) enough space. Putting them too close makes them compete for water and nutrients and fosters fungal diseases. It also makes it harder to weed and harvest.

Here are some tips for growing vegetables successfully:

1. Follow growing directions: Read and adhere to the directions on labels and seed packages exactly. Place plants with similar needs together, so it will be easy to remember which plants need more water or fertilizer, for instance. Vegetables have different needs, and neglecting them can result in diseases or poor harvests.
2. Mulch: Once your seedlings are established, spread organic mulch all around your garden, to retain soil moisture and to minimize weeds.
3. Watering: Vegetable gardens tend to be thirsty. As a rule, they need 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water per week.
4. Weeding: Keep it weeded. It's fairly easy to keep your vegetable garden weed-free in early summer, but be especially diligent in July, August and September, when weeds tend to take over.
5. Don't overfertilize: Especially in new gardens, don't fret about fertilization. Under most conditions, as long as you add lots of organic matter each year (such as compost, peat moss or rotted, shredded leaves) your vegetable garden won't need additional feedings.
6. Create paths: Create paths throughout the garden with straw, other organic mulches or even planks of scrap lumber so you'll have easy access to areas of plants and not compact the soil.
7. Keep it harvested: If you let produce age on plants, it not only attracts insects and disease but also signals the plant to slow or even halt production. Clear away any produce that falls to the ground to avoid unwanted "volunteers" next season.

Use these easy tips to create and maintain a vegetable garden and you'll be harvesting your delicious vegetables before you know it!