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Begin the seeds

If you prefer to use seedlings in your garden, to give it a little bit of a head start, you can begin to plant seeds so they’ll be ready to plant when the soil is prepared. Read the seed package to see how long it takes for the plants to germinate, then plant the seeds in good soil to give them the best start. Remember to plant more seeds than you want in your garden, just in case some of them don’t survive.

Check the seeds on a daily basis, fertilizing or feeding them, as well as giving them the right amount of water. If some of the seedlings aren’t growing well, don’t be afraid to pull them out. You want to keep only the strongest plants to put into your garden when the time comes.

Prepare the soil

When you know the danger of snow and frost has passed, you can begin to think about actual soil preparation. If you’ve moved the location of the garden, you’ll want to test the pH level of your soil. You’ll also want to learn what the other nutrients are, along with their levels, so you’ll know the best type of fertilizer of plant food that will be needed.

Having good soil will make your garden one your neighbors will envy. The best soil is dark and loose but very rarely will you have that type of soil without some hard work. Some people have very rocky soil, which is dry and doesn’t hold nutrients. Others have soil that is more like clay than actual dirt. Luckily there is a medium soil, and that’s what most people have.

To get the nutrient rich, dark dirt gardeners will love, you may have to amend the soil with various components. Sand can be added to the soil to help it drain better and be drier. Clay can be added to make the soil moister. Don’t forget to add old grass clippings, leaves, and old manure to help improve the quality of the soil.

Check your soil the first year you plant a garden, and then every three years, to ensure the correct ratio of nutrients are in the soil to allow for the best quality plants. Check with your local Cooperative Agency or a local college or university to see if they will test the soil for you.

Besides the levels of nutrients in the soil, you’ll also want to test for drainage. This test, however, you can complete on your own. Dig a hole that is 6” wide by 12” deep. To test the drainage, fill the hole with water and allow it to drain into the surrounding soil. When the hole is empty, fill the hole again and then begin timing the amount of time it takes for the water takes to completely drain from the hole the second time. If more than eight hours have passed and there’s still water in the hole, your soil doesn’t drain properly. You’ll want to incorporate sand into your soil to help with the drainage problem.

Clean up the area of any dead plants or weeds so you’ll have as close to a “clean slate” to begin with as possible. You may want to use a weed killer in the area well before you begin to work the soil to get rid of the maximum amount of weeds. By getting rid of the weeds prior to tilling or plowing, you’ll have a better chance of not having to fight as many weeds when your plants begin to grow.

Speaking of weeds, you might want to consider if you’re going to use a weed barrier or not. Some people put newspapers between rows in their gardens. Some use a breathable weed barrier that allows water to pass through, but keeps weeds from growing. Others use black plastic as a barrier. Still others use mulch between rows. You can also use a combination of the various mediums. You have several options to choose from or you may choose not to use anything at all.