The past year has been a real challenge for a lot of people, but if anything good has come of it, there has been a surge in gardening activity and a desire to be outdoors. And why not? Gardening and being out in nature can be so rewarding and has proven to be therapeutic. If you are considering gardening for the first time or just want to get better at it, here is some information that will help get you started.

Site Selection

• Sun exposure: select a site that receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. Southern exposures are ideal for greatest sun incidence.

• Soil: Well-drained soils such as sandy loam provides ideal conditions for growing vegetables. Soil pH near 6.6 is optimal. Avoid steep slopes where erosion will be a problem.

• Air flow: avoid low-lying areas as these tend to collect cold air which slows germination and plant development in spring.

• Avoid placing a vegetable garden near walnut trees. Walnuts exude a substance called juglone from their roots which is allelopathic, meaning it can kill other plants. Tomatoes and other solanaceous plants are highly sensitive to juglone.

• Make sure the site is situated near a water supply.

Removing Vegetation

It is important to start with a clean slate when preparing a new garden bed. And this means removing existing vegetation and controlling weeds. Usually, this is a chore for the summer prior to planting. There are several methods available to kill off vegetation. The most common method is to apply an herbicide, but there are other nonchemical methods such as solarization and smothering.

Solarization is a simple technique that captures radiant heat energy from the sun and uses that heat to kill seedlings and weed seeds, as well as some soil-borne disease organisms. Sheets of plastic are used to trap the solar heat. Solarization is commonly used to kill weed seeds in areas where the vegetative layer has been removed.

To smother weeds, cover the soil with black plastic, or several layers of newspaper. Carpet or boards have also been used for smothering.

Solarization can be combined with other control methods. For example, an herbicide may be used to make the initial kill, then solarize to control subsequent seedlings and kill seeds in the soil. Solarization can also be combined with the application of soil amendments and fertilizers. In fact, solarization can speed up decomposition of organic matter, releasing soluble nutrients into the soil.

Whatever method is used, it is ideal to control perennial weeds before establishing a new garden. It will be much easier to manage them before you have the area planted with vegetables.

Soil preparation

Once the vegetation is removed, till the soil to loosen it. This is a good time to add manure or other organic material. To preserve soil structure, avoid tilling when the soil is too wet. To determine if the soil is too moist for tilling, grab a handful of soil and squeeze it slightly. If it sticks together in a ball it is too wet. If it crumbles easily it is ready.

How to Collect Soil for Testing

Soil tests should be included as part of garden preparation. It is easier to amend soils and add nutrients before planting, rather than after. Soil tests collect information on soil nutrients and pH.

When collecting soil samples, test areas with drastically different soil conditions separately. To get started you will need a tool for collecting small samples. A soil probe is a great tool for sampling if you have one. A shovel or even a small bulb planter can also be used. You will also need a bucket for sampling. You should obtain a representative sample for each area being tested. To do this, collect several samples from across the entire area being sampled and combine them into a single, representative sample. Take samples to a depth of six inches. In a large garden, as many as 15 to 20 cores should be taken. Make sure to use a clean bucket that does not have any cleansers in it. Many cleaners contain chemicals that could alter your soil test results. Mix samples taken from one area together, then fill the sample bag for analysis.

Sample bags are available at your county extension office, where soil samples may also be submitted. The samples are sent to the OSU Soil, Water, and Forage Analytical Laboratory for testing. Tests cost $10 each, and evaluate soil pH, nitrate nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium contents. You can also request micronutrient tests as well as organic matter content and other specific tests. Test results include fertilizer recommendations specific to the type of vegetation growing on the site. Be sure to mark the proper space on the sample label indicating the type of area sampled, such as turf or garden.

Extension L-249 contains detailed information on collecting soil samples.

Don’t forget that even if you don’t have a large space for an in-ground garden, container gardening can also be done successfully. For information about growing in containers see our fact sheet HLA-6458 Container Gardening.