Gardening Tip #1: Choosing the Right Location
It might seem like a silly way to start a list of garden tips, but your garden's location has a lot to do with whether or not it is successful or not. Oftentimes, people pick a garden location based on convenience alone, and while that's important, it's not the only criteria.
Any garden's number one requirement is access to sunshine. Lots and lots of sunshine. Plot out the approximate size of your garden on the ground with string or spray paint and make sure the entire area gets full sunshine for the majority of the day.
Soil drainage is another important factor in choosing a garden's location. If the soil doesn't drain well , it's probably going to hold too much moisture. The ground where a garden is located should have normal drainage; it the ground has standing water on it after heavy or moderate rainfall, the soil is going to be too moist for healthy root growth. Roots need adequate air circulation in the soil just as it needs moisture. Too much water in the soil reduces the ability of oxygen to circulate through the soil.
Soil type is the next important criteria in determining garden location. Ground that contains clay or other non-porous materials are very compacted, and they don't drain well at all. As mentioned above, this creates problems for garden plants.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, sandy soils tend to drain of their moisture too quickly. This requires extra work on your part to keep the plants and soil properly irrigated.
A garden's soil can usually be improved ,but why create more work for yourself when you can do a little bit of planning ahead of time?
