Marking rows seems like a simple procedure - it almost seems like overkill, really. 

Planting in rows makes your garden orderly and beautiful. It also helps you space your plants for optimal production; additionally, it helps you recover if seeds don't sprout, if a critter sheared off your seedlings, or if your starter plant bites the dust. 

These things really happen! 

What is a "Row?"

Since you have your fence...

How to Build a Poultry Netting Fence

Building the fence is probably the hardest physical work you will have to do.  If you can recruit a helper or two, it makes the work much easier. It's really worth the effort to do a good job.  Good fence building now will mean you never have to touch it for the rest of the season!

Dig a Trench

This is a critically important step if your plot is right at ground level! You are...

When we garden, we find that everyone else wants to take advantage of our work, particularly wild animals. For this reason, I recommending fencing your plot. 

What kinds of critters?

Depending on your location, your delicious vegetables will attract:

• Rabbits
• Field mice
• Squirrels
• Opossums
• Raccoons
• Deer
• Birds
• Insects

Fencing won't deter all of these animals, unfortunately. Squirrels, opossums, and raccoons can climb...

I received my seeds in the mail a few weeks ago and I can't wait to get started!

This spring (2020) I'll probably get out to the plot and start preparing it for planting about the first two weekends in April (in 2020 it's April 4 and April 11.)

I'm planning to plant my seeds on or about April 11. 

Favorites

Listed below are some of my favorites. I like them because they're easy to grow and consistently produce, year after...

As I write this, it has been less than 24 hours since the local county government (Johnson County, Kansas) has issued a stay-at-home order to start in 2 days. This order has been issued because of the COVID-19 / Coronavirus pandemic going on right now.

While browsing social media, I've seen an increased interest in home gardening related to the pandemic and the restrictions we are facing. I have been hesitant to post about gardening...

I believe that preparing the soil is very important for a successful community garden plot. I complete one major soil prep process at the beginning of the planting season and then only work the soil in sections as I plant crops later in the season.

This article will show you how to prepare the soil at the beginning of the season. 

Purpose

The purpose of soil prep is to "fluff up" the soil, remove weeds, and incorporate...

When the garden opens, I'm so excited to get started! 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. You need to get ready with the right tools and supplies. Assemble your toolkit with our recommendations below. 

If you don't have these tools already, you'll need to purchase them. Many of these tools you'll only need to buy once in your life, as long as you select high quality tools. Consider going to a quality local...

Certainly you've seen starter plants (also called transplants) for all kinds of flowers vegetables at the garden center. They're young plants you can buy to put in your garden. They're usually sold in a container of 6 plants or 4 plants, sometimes even more. Some brands sell theirs in individual peat pots. 

Have you ever really thought about starter plants? 

Starter plants are a way to jump start your garden. Someone...

I think it's weird to call them "crops." I mean, I only have a few of each plant. A "crop" seems like it should be miles and miles of planted farmland. 

I haven't found a better word though. Crops it is. 

A crop is the collection of a specific kind of plant, no matter if you have 1 or 100 plants. Example: in my garden I'll plant 64 carrots, 32 lettuce, 16 Swiss chard plants. That's 3 crops: carrots, lettuce, and Swiss...

Choosing what to grow is a personal process, but it doesn't have to be stressful. No one should tell you what you are supposed to grow – assuming you are growing for yourself.

The real question is: 

• What do you like to eat?
• What flowers do you like? 

 Make a list. Don’t forget fresh herbs. 

Once you have your list, you will need to do a little research about the plants. You will need to answer several...