One of the biggest mistakes people make when planting vegetables is planting too early. In terms of planting time, every variety of vegetables has a different growing time and ideal planting time. Each package comes with zone information. Use this information to plant your vegetables at the right time of the year.
Wait for the Right Outdoor Temperature
A summer garden is planted in early spring. It is vital that you wait until the threat of frost has passed before transplanting any vegetable plant into the ground. The same rules apply to planting seeds. When the ground is too cold, it can kill the plants.
Separate Vegetable Plants Appropriately
Vegetable plants need breathing room. Smaller plants, such as bell peppers and other pepper varieties, can be planted a little closer together, such as 12-inches apart as they don’t spread much. Tomato plants should have at least 24-inches between them as they spread and grow tall at the same time.
Generally speaking, plant vegetables between 18 and 24 inches apart to allow for proper root development and so that crowding does not occur.
Space Rows of Vegetables Well
For items planted in rows, such as beans and corn, make sure that the rows are separated by at least 18-inches of walking space. Sew each row with an even spreading of seeds as well. This prevents over-crowding.
Corn should be planted at one end of the garden and with at least 5-feet of space between it and other vegetables as it grows tall and can block the sun from getting to the other vegetables in the garden.
Use Ground Protection for Weed Prevention
Some gardeners swear against it, but taking hours to weed the garden makes ground covers necessary, especially for beginners. Ground cover can be planting screen material or even a few bales of straw spread out over the ground. The ground cover helps to keep the garden neat and free of weeds. Some weeds may grow naturally next to a plant when they are transplanted from store bought containers.
Gardening doesn’t have to be a challenge. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to overcrowd the space. Give every plant enough room to breathe and grow. Label your sections so that you know where everything is growing and do not over saturate the ground. Too much water can actually hurt the plants and prevent them from growing at all.