What Is in a Vegetable Garden?

Fertile Soil

Garden soil with a fair amount of organic material is the desired growing medium for vegetables. Till the soil in the fall and take a soil sample for analysis. Soil sample results determine what kind and how much fertilizer you need to add to your garden before planting. Along with fertilizer, work in a generous amount of compost, aged manure or peat moss to improve the soil's texture and water-holding capacity.

The first seeds to go into a garden, often as soon as soil temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit, are hardy or semihardy vegetables. Choose from among cool season annuals, which include radishes, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, lettuce, onions, peas, carrots, potatoes, parsley and Swiss chard.

Once the soil warms further, plant the desired warm season vegetables. Beans, celery, corn, cucumbers and summer squash can go in the ground when the soil temperature reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, when soil warms to 70 F you can add tomatoes, eggplants and pepper transplants. You can also plant winter squash and melons at this time.

Adding perennials to a garden takes some thought since you'll want to plant them in a place you'll be happy with for several years, a spot that won't interfere with your annuals. Common vegetable perennials include asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, artichokes and French sorrel. Though perennials are less popular in a vegetable garden, they are worth considering since the initial investment of time and roots or crowns typically yields several years of harvests.

A layer of organic mulch around garden plants keeps weeds down and prevents evaporation. Straw, grass clippings, pine needles, sawdust and leaves are popular mulch options you may be able to obtain at no cost. Mulch holds water near and increases the humidity around plants. A 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch applied to the garden reduces plants' water needs by as much as half. Pull any weeds before putting down mulch. Apply it when vegetable plants are well established and when the garden soil is moist.

Trellises, stakes, poles, nets or cages conserve garden space by encouraging plants to grow upward, but even gardens with lots of space have plant supports for crops such as runner beans. Caging or staking tomato plants keeps the fruit off the ground, preventing contact with the soil that may encourage quick decay. Typically, supported plants are easier to harvest than vegetable plants left to sprawl on the ground. When adding plant supports to a garden, position them so they don't interfere with the sun exposure of sun-loving plants.