Vegetable Garden Layout

The size of your yard will determine your final vegetable garden layout. What can be fun is the planning of the garden and the decisions surrounding the kind of garden you want. One of the very first decisions is whether it will be a ground level or raised bed garden.

The ground level garden is the cheapest form of vegetable garden layout. Why? Because all you need to do is plow up the area that you have elected to turn into a vegetable garden and remove the grass. Well, it's never as easy as it sounds, of course. You will have to get the soil out of the clumps of grass and then churn up a good 2 feet deep in this plot to loosen up the compacted earth. We'll talk later about adding soil and conditioning amendments.

The second type of vegetable garden layout uses a raised bed. The advantages of a raised bed are that it generally warms up quicker in the spring, has excellent drainage and you can tend to the weeds sitting on a stool! The disadvantages lie in the cost of constructing the sides of the bed initially, including the additional dirt necessary to fill the upraised plot.

There are companies that have created an entire business around selling you vegetable garden layout kits. You can study the plans they provide and use these ideas to build your own layout or you can buy one of their kits.

The advantage of the kit is that a good quality cedar is used for the sides. Western red cedar withstands infestations and lasts a good long while even when wet. It also comes pre-drilled and all necessary hardware is provided in packages, so your thinking is done for you. Your only decision is the relative costs associated with doing your own materiel buying versus the cost of the vegetable garden layout kit.

Regardless of which kind of garden you choose, you will want to line the edges of your selected vegetable garden layout area with a grass barrier. The battle with encroaching grass will be eternal if you don't just give in and buy one of the products on the market that are impenetrable to the most invasive grass, which is bermuda. Line the edges of your selected area to a depth of 8 inches and all should be well.

One word of caution: make sure that however you plan your vegetable garden layout that you leave a pathway all around it. Like an aisle, a path will enable you to pick your vegetables without tromping all through the garden. Not that tromping can't be fun, it can; but it compacts the soil around your plants and will make nutrients more inaccessible to growing roots.

Now to the soil amendments. It is likely that your converted grass patch needs additional nutrients before it produces great vegetables. Regardless of the vegetable garden layout, you'll need help.

You can take a sample of your soil to your nearest Soil Conservation office and have it tested for about $15. Or, the cheapskate method: head for your largest garden center and ask them what to add to your lawn soil to convert it to a super-productive vegetable garden layout.

Vegetarian Fun: For vegetables and fruits lovers!
Fun information about vegetatrian, vegan, fruits, vegetables and tons of great recipes. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter!

---

How to Grow Basil

Today there are sprays, scented candles, plug-ins, and even discs... Read More

Gardening for Birds Part 2

We've had some well needed rain this past week, though... Read More

Organic Gardening

"Organic gardening is not just the avoidance of chemicals, in... Read More

The Heralded Teak Furniture Manufacturer: Kingsley-Bate

With an average lifespan of 75 years, teak wood has... Read More

Dog Days of Summer

Here are a few tips to keep your garden and... Read More

How to Make Your Own Rooting Hormone

When starting a new plant from a leaf or stem... Read More

Make The Most From Your Vegetable Garden

All your hard work has paid off, and now you... Read More

What You Should Know About Miniature Roses

Miniature roses are exactly what they sound like. They have... Read More

Gift Ideas for Bird Lovers

Some of the best gifts you can give to a... Read More

Bird Baths in Your Yard

HOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEHas summer come in with a bang!Heat waves everywhere.And where... Read More

How to Choose Between Goldfish and KOI

Many people have asked us over the years "Should I... Read More

The Sundial - Garden Ornament or Exotic Timepiece?

Most of us regard a sundial as an attractive ornament... Read More

Orchid Care - What The Root Tells Us

Orchid Care Part 4 Diseases of the RootsOur final part... Read More

How to Build a Shed

The easiest way to build a shed in the backyard... Read More

Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn

Preparing for the Winter Months: Gardening in OctoberWhen you feel... Read More

How to Grow Sweet Corn

Purchased corn, whether on the cob or in a can... Read More

Adirondack Chairs - The Proper Way to Care for Them

The Adirondack chair is unlike any other chair every made.... Read More

Why Teak Furniture is the Better Choice

For centuries, it has been known that teak has qualities... Read More

The Perfect Garden Sundial

Is it possible for a garden sundial to tell perfect... Read More

Gardenscape On A Shoestring

Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while... Read More

Budget For Your Garden

Have you ever thought about how much it costs to... Read More

Lazy Fish Worries

If your fish hang out at the bottom of the... Read More

Dill: Scandinavias Most Important Culinary Herb

The ancient herb, Anethum graveolens or Fernleaf dill as it... Read More

Mole Traps: Can You Use Them?

Mole control is one of the most complicated problems that... Read More

Garlic: The Stinking Rose

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries for both... Read More