Creating a Cooking Garden

Many people like the concept of growing and eating food produced in their own garden, but lack the knowledge to do so and don't know how to start their own garden. We will be talking about the first couple steps you need to take to begin planning and preparing your own cooking garden.

The first primary considerations you need to make include soil and sunlight. Whether you will be planting indoors or out, your fruits, vegetables and herbs will need to have sunlight. Take some time to observe your intended garden site throughout the day. (This includes your kitchen window if you will be planting there.) Where do the shadows fall and how long do they stay there? Root vegetables, like carrots or beets, can better tolerate having less sun than vegetables like tomatoes, which need full sunlight. Ideally you want full sunlight for all your vegetables, but if you find you have some shade to deal with, use it for your "ground bound" crop.

If you live in the northern hemisphere of the globe, the south side of your house, yard or where ever will receive more sun than the north side will. Avoid planting on the north side of a building to get the most sunlight. If there is moss on the side you want to plant, go for the carrots because moss grows on the shady side. Ideally, if you're planting indoors, you want to put your plants in the southern side for maximum sun exposure.

So you've located a spot that has the best sunlight, is it level? If not, can you make it level enough? Your crops will need to be evenly watered and you will want to plant on a flat area that is well drained. If your ground slopes some, contour planting will help minimize uneven water distribution. What is the soil like? You want soil that is not too sandy and not to clay like. The soil needs to be able to hold the water, but also to drain off the water as well.

Once you have selected your location, you will need to plow the soil, which should be done when the soil is moist but not wet. Generally autumn and spring are good times to spade the soil. When you plow, go about six inches deep, being careful not to bring subsoil to the surface. Work the ground well and then add a pre-plant fertilizer and rake the seedbed in several directions while it's still moist.

Do this until the soil is fine and make sure you go several inches deep. If you find your soil is too wet, let it dry for a day or two to make sure you can break all clods as they will cause problems. If your soil is too dry wet it so you can work it. Remove any rocks or foreign debris you find that is any larger than the fingernail on your pinky. Take time for this process to make sure your soil is pulverized. Rake it a lot to make sure there are no clods. When you're sure the soil is ready, level and firm it.

With you site selected, and you soil prepared, you're well on your way to having a crop producing cooking garden.