Where Should You Put Your Garden?

The first decision you need to make is where to place your garden. Because it’s difficult to change the location of your garden once you’ve built it, you should consider the following factors carefully.

Follow the Sun

Many of the most popular vegetables in home gardens require full sun. “Full sun” means a minimum of six to eight hours of unshaded, unfiltered sunlight during the growing season. Even though some vegetables and herbs tolerate less sunlight, it’s best to choose the sunniest location possible for your garden.
Note that the angle of the sun’s track changes throughout the year, so the sunniest spot in the off- season won’t be the same as during the growing season. Consider where the sun will track in the height of summer. Also, keep in mind that a location near a deciduous tree may receive full sun in the winter but will remain mostly shaded in the summer when the leaves return.
Notice where a potential garden space would lie in relation to structures such as your home or a shed. In all but the hottest climates, gardens facing west and south will benefit the most from ample afternoon sun.
Certain plants prefer some shade, especially if you live in a hot climate. You can always plant taller vegetables around shade-loving plants, but you can’t change the shade cast from structures or trees.

Site It Within Sight

“Out of sight, out of mind.” It may not seem like it now, but in the middle of the growing season, gardens not within easy walking distance of the house suffer more neglect than gardens located close by.
There is a saying that “the best fertilizer is a gardener’s shadow.” Daily walks in the garden allow you to spot and treat small issues before they become big problems. Catching problems early will lead to a healthier, more successful garden.

Access to Water (But Not Too Much)

If possible, try to position your garden near a water source such as an outdoor spigot. Easy access to supplemental irrigation will help you stay on top of the watering needs of your plants.
However, too much water can be a bad thing. Avoid placing your garden near rain gutters or in low- lying areas. I unknowingly situated my first garden, an entirely in-ground garden, in the lowest area of my property. Winter and spring rains puddled, and few plants survived. Take note of natural slopes in your land, and avoid placing your garden in the lowest-lying areas.

Making the Best of What You Have

Unless you have a large property with multiple site choices, you may only have one or, at best, a few options for your garden’s location. Perhaps your yard has more shade than you’d prefer, or you wish you had more space. Maybe the only sunny spot happens to be the lowest-lying area of your yard. If finding the optimum location seems impossible, consider these work-arounds.
No getting around the shade?
•    Plant vegetables and herbs that tolerate shade. Vegetables that produce fruit, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, require full sun. However, leafy plants (e.g., lettuce) and most root crops (e.g., beets and carrots) grow well in partial shade.
•    If the shade comes from trees, consider trimming some lower branches to allow more light through.
•    When a structure casts unwanted shade, add reflective material to the wall or paint it a light color. The reflection increases the amount of light that gets to the plants.
•    If you’re going to grow vegetables in containers, place the containers on rollers, and move fruiting plants into the sunlight throughout the day.
Small space?
•    Plant compact, highly productive plants. Excellent choices include squash, cucumbers, peppers, and determinate tomatoes (see tomato profile , for definition).
•    Add vertical gardening to create room for more crops. Carrots grow well under pole beans; lettuce can be grown under vining cucumbers.
•    Use companion planting to place crops with a higher canopy (e.g., tomatoes and peppers) next to those with lower growth habits (e.g., lettuce and beets).
No well-draining area?
If your entire property sits in water during rainy seasons, raised beds can be the perfect gardening solution. Aim for the raised bed to be at a height of at least 10 inches. That way, the soil can drain well without soaking up too much excess water from the ground below.
Still no ideal location?
Consider growing your vegetables at a local community garden or allotment. Ask around to find out about your options.

 

Resources

Find your average frost date

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates

Find your local cooperative extension service by zip code

Gardening Know How, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search

Find soil-testing labs by state

Gardening Products Review, https://gardeningproductsreview.com/state-by-state-list-soil-testing-labscooperative-extension-offices

Garden tools

Gardener’s Supply Company, https://www.gardeners.com

Seed and plant suppliers

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, https://www.rareseeds.com

Seed Savers Exchange, https://www.seedsavers.org

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, https://southernexposure.com

Territorial Seed Company, https://territorialseed.com

References

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Deborah Martin. The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, Barbara W. Ellis, and Ellen Phillips. Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. New York: Rodale, Inc., 2009.

Bradley, Fern Marshall, and Jane Courtier. Vegetable Gardening. White Plains, NY: Toucan Books, 2006.

Cool Springs Press. Gardening Complete. Minneapolis: Cool Springs Press, 2018.

Damrosch, Barbara. The Garden Primer . New York: Workman Publishing, Inc., 2008.

Harrington, J. F. “Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination.” University of California at Davis. Accessed October 18, 2019.

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/12281/soiltemps.pdf .

McCrate, Colin, and Brad Halm. High-Yield Vegetable Gardening . North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2015.

Reich, Lee. Weedless Gardening . New York: Workman Publishing Co., Inc., 2001.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (blog). “The Major Plant Families in a Vegetable Garden.” Accessed October 22, 2019. http://www.southernexposure.com/the-major-plant-families-in-a-vegetable-garden-ezp-190.html .