The First Step of Gardening 

Have you ever wanted to start a garden but just didn’t know where to begin? Look no further, because the first step to gardening is to pick the right site. Choosing the correct site won’t just put your plants on a path to success, it will also save you from all the work that comes with choosing the wrong site, like dealing with more diseases and pests. 

…But what does a garden site need? 

Based on our Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH021), there are only a handful of things you should look out for when you’re picking a site. 

If you don’t like reading, you can always watch the video on this topic:

Sunlight 

Okay, this one may be obvious, but it’s important. Plants need sunlight to photosynthesize, which is their way of creating and storing their own food using sunlight, water, and some CO2. When plants get full access to sunlight, they will be able to make the right amount of food. When they do not get enough sunlight, they can’t make enough food and can become unhealthy. 

So how do we get enough sunlight for our plants? 

You will need to know how much sunlight the plant needs. Thankfully, most of the veggies you will be growing will need the same amount of sunlight, at least 6 hours each day. Now that we know how much we need, we just need to find the areas that get that much sunlight on our site. 

A tip for finding sunny spots: pick the site(s) you would like to have a garden on. Take pictures of the site 2 hours after sunrise, at noon, and about 2 hours before sunset. Compare the three pictures and find the spot that has the most sun. 

Well Drained Soil 

Plants do not like to have “wet feet.” This means they hate sitting in water, or at least most veggie plants do. Unless you’re doing hydroponics, you’ll want to avoid growing your plants in areas that don’t drain water well. 

Sitting water can harm plants by limiting the amount of oxygen to their roots and perpetuate disease that can harm your plants. By avoiding standing water in your garden, you can save yourself from lots of issues down the line that waste time, money, and plants. 

But how do you know when water isn’t draining? 

One of the best ways to learn what parts of your site drain poorly is to wait for a good rainstorm. Once the storm is over, note the places where water puddles in the yard. If the puddles last for a day or two, it may have poor drainage. Also, if you have areas on site that are always spongy, wet, and saturated, that may also mean there’s bad drainage. 

Water Access 

It’s one thing if your plants die from disease or bugs, but it’s another if they die simply from being forgotten about. Watering is hard for new gardeners. People must choose if they want their own irrigation system or if they want to hand water. Most beginners don’t use irrigation, which is perfectly fine, but they need to have a way to water their garden often. 

A close source of water helps gardeners remember to water and makes it easy to get the water to the plants. The best possible option is a spray hose, overhead sprinkler, or irrigation tubing. The second-best option is to hand water the area, which means using a watering can for your garden. 

When choosing your site, look for places close to water, like backyard hoses or outdoor sinks. Drought stressed plants can lead to weakness and susceptibility to disease and pests. 

A Few Final Tips 

You may want to avoid putting your garden in any area with large roots. Old roots (like tree roots) can block vegetable root growth and stunt plants. Fences may be important as well, if you are in an area where theft is common. And it may also help to have a fence to keep critters away from your garden. 

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