Spring Planting: Choosing a Location and Preparing the Soil
It is hard to deny that the right location and fertile soil are the basic prerequisites for successful cultivation. There is no point trying to grow tomatoes, for example, in a forest, where the soil is acidic and trees provide shade. But how do you find the perfect place for your plants? We will advise you, whether you live in a city and have only limited space for growing, or, on the contrary, cannot decide where in your spacious garden to plant your plants.
Choosing a suitable place for growing is not a matter of opinion, but mainly of balancing your priorities and the needs of the plants. The most important factors you should consider before choosing a growing site are the amount of light, proximity to a water source and soil quality.
Sunlight
When growing, the more light reaches the plants, the better. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? However, few people are lucky enough to live in a place where there are no tall buildings, trees or fences. When planning, follow the rule that, if possible, the growing site should not be shaded from the south. Even a low fence on the south side of a bed will block a great deal of sunlight.
Most flowers and crops, such as tomatoes, cucumbers or medicinal plants, need 8 or more hours of direct sunlight a day. The same applies to perennial berries or citrus plants. These plants will survive in a site with less light, but they will produce far fewer flowers and fruits. However, there are also species that will thrive in shadier locations. If your garden receives at least 6 hours of light a day, you can grow peas, beans, lettuces and herbs.
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Proximity to a water source
Rain is the cheapest and best source of water for outdoor growing, but nature is unpredictable and most plants do best when they have a regular watering regime. When choosing a growing site, do not forget that you will need to water. You can do this by hand, or use an automatic irrigation system.
Place a barrel or water tank near the growing site so that you can collect rainwater in it, or where it can be easily filled from the tap. This is not only about your convenience, but also about the fact that water for watering plants should not contain chlorine. Therefore, if you draw watering water from the mains supply, it is a good idea to let it stand in the tank for at least a day before use.
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Soil quality
Whether you are planning to grow in a bed in open ground, in a greenhouse, or on a balcony or terrace in pots, fertile and high-quality growing substrate is a prerequisite for success. Most plants do best in neutral to slightly acidic, well-drained soil (pH 6.0 – 7.0) rich in organic matter. Growing substrates for growing in pots usually contain a mixture of soil, compost and perlite for aeration. If you are growing in beds in open ground, some dirty work awaits you.
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How to prepare bed soil for growing
- Thorough clean-up: Remove weeds, fallen leaves and the remains of plants and mulch from the previous season from the bed. The aim is to expose the loose soil.
- Loosening and adjusting soil pH: Loosen the exposed soil by digging over the top layer with a spade to a depth of about 10 to 15 centimetres. If the soil in your garden is heavy or clayey, enrich it with compost or humus. If you find that the existing substrate is particularly infertile or stony, the easiest option is to build a raised bed in that place. During loosening, you can also lime the soil, which will help neutralise acidity. Analogue or digital pH meters are used to measure soil pH.
- Spring fertilising: In the spring months, plants mainly need enough nitrogen, which you can add to the soil, for example in the form of compost, vermicompost (humus), guano or fertilisers with a higher nitrogen content. In spring, you can also add wood ash to the soil, which contains phosphorus that supports root growth in young plants.
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More tips on growing and gardening for indoor and outdoor use can be found on the Higarden blog for growers.