The other day I was in the garden watering it, picking cucumbers and zucchinis, and just general garden stuff when I saw a face looking at me from the tomato bushes. Looking more I made out a small body, legs, and eyes. It was a Hornworm munching on my tomato leaves!

          Ick! What was I going to do? I obviously had to get rid of it or it could ruin my tomato crops. 

          I quickly ran inside and grabbed the grabber, an extendable arm , to pick up the pest. Racing back to the garden I grabbed the first one, plucked him from his perch on the tomato leaf, ran out of the garden and flung him as far away from the garden as possible. I returned to my precious plants and discovered a second one munching away! This one too I grabbed, but he was strong and clung to the plant. I ripped him from the leaf with a mighty pull and flung him as far from the garden as well.

          I breathed a sigh of relief. For now my garden is safe, but for how long will it remain that way?

Click here to find more information on how to get rid of Hornworms on your tomato plants.

The first step to planning your vegetable garden is to figure out what and how much vegetables you would like to grow. For example, if you like tomatoes or cucumbers make sure to plant enough for you, your friends, and your neighbors because everybody loves homegrown vegetables!

The next step is to plan your garden out on paper.  You will need to make sure you do not plant your vegetables too close together or too close to your garden fence. You will want to be able to move around them to weed and pick your harvest.

Step number three will be deciding whether you will buy already grown little seedlings or start your garden from seeds. If it is early in the season you can start your vegetables from seeds. When you choose your seeds make sure to check the planting zone on the back of the seed packet. You can purchase seed packets in many different stores including garden centers, grocery stores, and home centers.  

If you decide to start your garden indoor from seeds, you can use small paper cups and some potting soil. Following the directions on the seed packets will get you off to a good start. It will take several days for the seeds to germinate, but soon you will see little leaves and stems start to poke out of the dirt and develop.

Whether you purchase seedlings or seeds you will need to wait until all danger of frost is gone for your area to start planting your seedlings into your garden. Make sure to check the spacing of the plants from the seed packets or the plant tabs. You may also want to attach the empty seed packet or plant tab to the area of the plants you have planted. This will help you remember what plants have been planted where.

If you follow these steps you are on your way to a productive, healthy garden.

Springtime is right around the corner, and now is the time to prepare your vegetable garden.

You don’t need a big backyard to have a vegetable garden. If you don’t have an area around your home to plant vegetables, consider container gardening. You can grow many delicious vegetables or herbs in containers in very little space. You can use a window sill, deck, patio, or porch.  All you need is sunlight and rich soil.

If this is your first year for a garden you will need to choose your site.

Sunlight:

Choose a site that gets a lot of sunlight. You will want at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.  Although 8-10 hours is much better.

Close to Home:

Pick a site that is close to your house. Having a site close to your house will be easier for you to water, weed, and keep critters out.

Soil:

Loose, well drained, and rich soil is what you will need to have a successful garden. Adding organic matter will improve clay or sandy soil.  

Water:

You will want to locate your garden near water. The closer to the spigot or other water source, the more chances of you watering your garden often.

Avoid low spots, like at the bottom of a hill. These areas will stay cooler longer and water may pool in the area. 

If you are planting your garden on the same site as last season, remove all dead plant material. Add organic matter and turn the soil. Don’t forget to rotate the crops from last season. This will avoid soil borne diseases and maintain a good soil balance.

For container gardening, you can use almost any type of container. The size of your container will depend on the vegetable that you will be growing and also the spot that you have for your container to be placed. If you are looking to grow tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, you could use a 5 gallon container. Remember your container will need drainage holes and about 1 inch of gravel on the bottom to help with drainage.