The most important thing for vegetables is full morning and afternoon sun. Check the sun in your chosen location before you plant!

Give plants plenty of space. Read the label for spacing directions. Make a drawing and figure out how many of each plant you have room for. Do not crowd the plants too tight together.

Work some type of organic matter into the soil before planting. You can use compost, leaf mulch or any prepared organic soil amendment. Loose, well-drained soil is what you need. It also makes weeding easier.

Mulch on top of the soil reduces weeds and makes pulling them easier. Straw, leaves, newspaper, and perforated weed barriers work well. Do not use grass clippings or hay as they introduce weed seeds.

Most years it is too dry in late July and August to grow vegetables without irrigation. Once established, vegetables like a heavy watering only 2 times a week. This lets the surface dry and helps prevent diseases. Soaker hoses work well.

Select disease resistant varieties and control the environment. Our staff can assist you with this. Weed control helps reduce plant disease.

Small animals and deer can be a big problem. Fencing and cages may be necessary. Repellent sprays, particularly those to repel deer sprayed around the perimeter of your garden or yard will help. Watch for small worms, they will become BIG problems. Even a few worms can devour a large tomato plant. Remove them by hand. It won’t hurt the butterfly population if you destroy the ones on your vegetables.